If We Ever Meet Again
by wwechaingangbabe
Summary: Married and unhappy, John Cena was forced to facilitate happiness through the means of another woman. This woman just happened to have her own problems, an abusive boyfriend. Can they get answers through each other? Or will it further complicate things?
1. Flash Forward

**Chapter 1  
****Disclaimer:** I don't own anyone from the WWE.  
**  
****Author's Note: **Yes yes, there's a reason I'm putting the whole chapter in italics. You'll learn why in the next. I hope you all enjoy, R&R!

__

* * *

Pleasantly sore, I fixed my eyes at the most beautiful woman in my world. I was hoping to find some form of serenity to ease my thoughts, I desperately needed it. I had just woken up only to wish I was still asleep: this day had come too soon and I was in no way ready. It was my mentality that bogged me down, I couldn't see past the next few hours and it sucked the life out of me.

_I lightly shook the sleeping beauty beside me as I closed the little space between us. I watched as she slowly raised her eyelids and muttered, "Mm John, what time is it?"_

_"The little amount we have left together," I answered, my voice tinged with sadness. I cupped her jaw as I lightly massaged her cheeks. I had these crazy urges to touch her, to hold her, to caress her; there was absolutely no say in the next time I'd get the chance to._

_"Mm," she moaned, finding the strength to pull her body even closer towards mine. Instantly, I felt her heartbeat and each pound seemed to match mine perfectly. "What do you wanna do?"_

_It took awhile for an answer to escape my lips as a million thoughts came through my head. What did I wanna do? To stop time so I could hold onto the most incredible thing that's ever walked into my life. To stop time so I can stay satisfied and keep this unbelievable feeling. To stop time so I wouldn't have to spend the next few days with half a broken heart._

_"I just wanna hold you," I replied plainly, giving my true desires no justice at all._

_She looked at me with a nearly blank stare. Was she just as devastated about our nearing departure?_

_"Tell me what that pretty little head of yours is thinking," I ordered, trailing my fingertips from her cheeks all the way down to her waist._

_She blinked, keeping her piercing eye on mine. She didn't need to speak for me to know what she was thinking. Hell yeah she's just as devastated about our nearing departure. There's no question about that; just look into her eyes and she could tell you in a million different days._

_"Last night was incredible," I changed the subject slightly, and she reciprocated with a smile. We were desperate to cling onto the past few days, for the future held no promises at all._

_"Last night was incredible," she agreed in a nod. "I'm really gonna miss you John."_

_"I'ma miss you too, Rox. I'ma miss you too."_

_And there was no doubt about it. She's the woman I miss on my worst days, and the woman I'm with on my best days. Rox, Roxanne Evans. The one I'm forced to leave within the next few hours just so I can get back to work. I had a live show tonight and I could tell it'd take every muscle of my face to form a fake smile for the fans._

_"You're gonna have to kidnap me if you keep looking at me like that," I said as I zipped up my last bag. It had literally taken us two full hours, if not more, to finally get out of bed. Now I was all packed and physically ready to go, which provided me even more time to wish I wasn't._

_I walked over to the desk on which Roxanne sat and stood in between her legs. I cupped her face one last time and said, "Take care while I'm out alright?"_

_She only smiled before securing herself into my arms. I hugged her tightly hoping it'd be enough to last an impression for the long time we had apart._

_"You're like my little soldier you know that?" I said softly. "Every time I have to leave, you're always the strong one."_

_She chuckled against my chest before pulling her head up to view. "Well one of us has to be."_

_"You make it so easy for me to leave, but you're in fact the hardest," I stated whole-heartedly. "I don't regret the last few days with you though. They're the best I ever had."_

_"Same here, John, same here."_

_The five-minute walk to the lobby felt like two seconds. I swear, every time you want time to go by slow, they end up flying by faster than you can wish. Frowning, I looked at Roxanne and pulled her into one last hug._

_She laughed and it muffled against me. "You're not gonna die John, just relax."_

_I sighed and struggled to follow orders. I still don't know how she managed to make being away from her feel impossible, but it happened. She succeeded whether she meant to or not._

_"I'll call you after the show," I said._

_"And I'll watch the show," she smiled, this time cupping my cheeks. _

_I pulled my face closer towards her temple and gave it a soft peck. I had to leave some kind of imprint; Roxanne's strong but not when it came to my lips. _

_"I have a question though," she stated after gaining back the strength, my kiss had taken from her._

_I nodded and looked her in the eye as a way of urging her to continue. _

_"Are you gonna tell Liz we spent the weekend together or..?"_

_The bubble I had built around Roxanne and I suddenly popped. Oh yeah, Liz, my wife. _

**

* * *

Author's Note: **Owee! I know I know, very short chapter but this was _just_ a teaser. Comments or concerns? Review!

_May 07, 2010_


	2. Perfect Stranger

**Chapter 2  
Disclaimer: **I don't own anyone from the WWE

**Author's Notes!: **If you haven't noticed, the last chapter was a flash-forward. Now I'm taking you back to when the main characters first met, and it'll continue to build from here. I hope it's not confusing. Thanks for those who reviewed! I hope you all enjoy, read, and review!

* * *

"Excuse me miss, is this yours?" John asked, revealing a flat rock in hand. On it looked like permanent marker that neatly wrote the words _'FUCK IT AND GO'_.

Giggling, she took the item from him and diligently examined inch by inch as she turned it to each side. He waited for her verbal response but became aware of it's delay as she continued laughing. His eyebrows raised unconsciously but he kept his sight on her. She was different; he was definitely not used to being overlooked because of some rock.

Slowly looking up, she smiled at him. A chunk of silence passed before she allowed her voice to be heard for the first time. "It _was_ mine. Where'd you find this and why'd you give it to me anyway?"

"Well I noticed you writing on it earlier," He paused. The true image of her sunk in and her beauty struck him speechless. She was definitely better looking than he first concluded.

He watched her head slowly nod and move closer towards his; she was urging him to continue.

Snapping back to reality, he explained, "And I thought you accidentally forgot it backstage."

Her lips pursed tightly as she ruminated of his last words. Patiently, John waited for her next response.

"Thanks?" she questioned in a squint. She then explained, "I write on rocks and leave them wherever."

Oh. That's was the first he's ever heard of that.

_I guess this was her version of wishing on a coin and throwing it on a fountain? But 'FUCK IT AND GO' didn't sound much like a wish but more of an advice. _John thought to himself.

He nodded to let her know he understood.

"Well it was nice talking to you," she said with a smile.

He struggled to find words and he was left to simply nod again. Within seconds, he watched as she slowly walked away. In disbelief, he turned his head to look back at her and a state of confusion quickly washed over him. That was the oddest contact he's had with a stranger but for some reason, he had this feeling of discomfort the instant she left his sight. It's like he missed her or something.

* * *

"I've never seen a grown man smile at the ground for that long," John heard someone say.

Looking up, he shook his head as he watched Randy walk closer. He was being a disturbance but John quickly favored his presence once he realized he had _someone_ to talk to. This was the perfect excuse to further ponder of the encounter he had yesterday.

"There's this girl I met," John blurted out.

Randy shot him this look of uncertainty before he fell into a fit of laughter.

Being ignorant towards Randy's own, John continued, "It was weird, she was weird. I saw her writing on this rock and I saw it again after I finished my match. I took it, found her, and she started laughing."

Randy sighed as he succeeded to tame his laughter. "Okay. She is weird, and you're even weirder for wasting your time talking about her."

John shot him this mad look, as a defense, until his words began to register. _He was right. Why am I still talking about her? _he thought.

"Anyways," Randy cut in. "Everyone's going out tonight, you're coming right?"

He nodded and groaned inwardly as he struggled to dismiss his innocent thoughts of that girl. His perfect stranger.

* * *

"Get my bitch over here," Miz ordered, too drunk for his own good. He was so consumed with alcohol to the point being rude became no problem. Then again, he really wasn't too far from that when sober.

One of the divas responded by slapping him across the chest. "Stop calling her that. She's not just a piece of property for you to claim."

"She's used to this, don't be such a baby."

"You're such a jerk Miz," one of the other divas said.

Laughing, he only shook his head and walked away.

"Roxxxxannnnnnne!" he called out. "Roxanne! Bring you and your damn stretch marks over here."

"Would you stop!" Roxanne ordered, aggressively tugging his arm towards the exit. She knew better than to let the both of them stay in public. Sure she had more security here but this only ensured her of physical safety. The words that percolated from Miz's mouth usually didn't do much good for her. She'd be too emotionally drained if she allowed for his outbursts to be overheard by the whole Raw roster.

Successfully making their exit, Roxanne angrily walked forward. She couldn't stand the thought of being close to him; he was disgusting.

"Don't you walk away from me woman," Miz commanded, aggressively tugging on her arm like she had done to him. There was definitely a difference between a woman tugging on a man, and a man tugging on a woman. This was certainly not going in favor of Roxanne.

"Ow, you're hurting me," she complained. She struggled to pull off his grip and to her misfortune, it only seemed to get tighter. "You're hurting me, Miz. Stop, it hurts."

Roxanne cringed in pain as the numbness took over her arm. She was quickly hit with the realization of what she did - she literally just bargained her body's safety for the extermination Miz's druken talk in public. This wasn't looking like a very sweet deal. The next thing she knew, she was being dragged and she winced, knowing all too well how long the rest of her night would be.

* * *

Picking up a rock that looked similar to the one he previously took, he groaned when seeing nothing but dirt to fill in each crevice. There was no sign of permanent marker, no sign of advice, and no sign of his perfect stranger having touched it prior to this.

"Damn it," he muttered, instantly throwing the rock back into it's place.

"You could've killed that innocent bird on the ground," someone warned from behind.

Sighing, he turned his head to see one of the divas snicker at him.

"What's wrong?" she asked concerned.

Shaking his head, he said, "Nothing."

He walked away, eager to dismiss the short-lived conversation. It seemed his thoughts were too much of a burden to vent out to anyone else. Besides, he himself wasn't sure why he's felt bothered for the past few days.

"Ow!" another female voice expressed, as John unconsciously bumped into her. He obviously wasn't looking where he went, and he didn't look like he cared either.

"Oh I'm sorry-" he began to say until a new atmosphere quickly filled the room. The words on his mouth evaporated as he questioned his eyes. Were they deceiving him? The person in front of him looked like his perfect stranger except she had a different pair of eyes. They looked lifeless.

"Hey…" he spoke out.

She simply greeted him back, "Hey."

"You're that stranger who writes on rocks right?" John asked, quickly regretting the way he did. _Smooth, very smooth._

Nodding her head, she formed a fake smile.

"Sorry for bumping into you," he apologized as the two slowly began walking towards their indefinite destination.

"It's okay."

"I didn't mean to hurt you," he added.

A train of silence followed and it left John wondering. Did he do something wrong? Did he say something wrong?

"Hey," he touched her arm lightly and she flinched. "Sorry..." he put his hands up to claim his innocence. "I'm sorry."

She shook her head and repeated, "It's okay… it's okay."

"Miss, are you alright?" he asked her, unconvinced.

"Huh?" her orbs met his and the silence that followed didn't seem to matter. Reading each other's eyes was enough to withhold their lack of verbal interaction.

"Are you alright?" he repeated, twice as concerned. He was convinced she wasn't but he needed to take the first step of asking to squeeze out the rest.

"Uh huh," she muttered, exaggerating her nod in hopes it'd convince him she was telling the truth.

It didn't work, and the both of them knew.

"Come on, you write on rocks but you can't talk to a concerned stranger?"

Blinking, a genuine smile appeared on her face and the set of eyes he had first saw her with seemed to return.

"Tell you what," she began to say. "If we ever meet again, I'll tell you everything."

Still smiling from seeing hers, John allowed a pause to pass before he registered himself back into reality. "Wait, what? Why do we have to wait till then?"

She shrugged. "Why not?"

"Because…"

"If we ever meet again, I'll tell you everything," she repeated.

Unwilling to give in, John did. He couldn't see a way around her wishes and he was simply thankful a future with them seemed up for grabs.

"Promise?"

"I promise," she said.

"Can I at least know your name?" he asked right as the space between began to grow.

Ignoring his question, she smiled before disappearing into the corner.

_Great_, John thought. _She's still just my perfect stranger. _

* * *

Hearing a loud thud, John instinctively ran as aid. He turned the corner and abruptly stopped when he saw his perfect stranger; he didn't expect to see her so soon. A smile formed his lips only to fall off as soon as he realized she was on the floor clutching her ribs.

"Are you alright?" he called out, kneeling beside her the very next second.

She sat up, keeping her hands pressured against her abdomen. "Ow," she winched.

John assisted her back, firmly putting his hand behind it for support. He cupped her jaw as she collapsed onto his chest.

"Lemme get you checked out, you might have broken something," he stated, deeply concerned.

She shook her head against his shirt. "No, no, I'm fine. I just fell off the ladder, it's probably some just minor bruising."

"Let me make sure," he insisted, pulling away from her just enough so he could take a look. He was trailing his hands towards her pain spot but she grabbed his hand before it touched her.

"No, no," she rejected. "I'm fine."

She pulled herself up onto a standing position to convince him, but it only led her into deeper pain.

"Ow ow ow!" she whined some more.

"See, I told you," John murmured. He led his perfect stranger onto the closest table before sitting her on the edge. "Please, lemme just check to make sure there's nothing broken."

Giving in, she closed her eyes in anticipation. Her body grew tense the moment his hands tugged on her shirt so he could inspect the damage. He saw no signs of broken ribs. They were indeed bruises, but they were definitely not minor.

"Are you sure you got this from falling off the ladder?" John questioned, not taking his eyes off the splotches of red, black, and purple on her exposed stomach.

"Yeah…" she said slowly. "Where else would I get it from?"

He frowned, looking up to meet her eyes. Did she think he was stupid? He caught her sprawled on her back yet the bruises were on her stomach.

"You wouldn't have bruise here," he said, lightly placing his fingertips against the spots.

"Yeah huh. I-I fell on my stomach then I turned on my back-" she lied.

Sighing, John looked deeper into her eyes. "I don't mean to bring attention to your private parts but your breasts should've taken the bruising, not your stomach. This-this doesn't look possible with your story. It just doesn't add up."

Struggling to come up with her next lie, his perfect stranger- and liar- avertedly looked away. Yeah, she was caught lying but she didn't owe him anything; not even the truth.

"Tell me everything," John demanded. He rested his palms on the table at either side of her, slickly sandwiching the little liar.

"Why?" she exclaimed. She was talking awfully aggressive for a girl in pain. What could she be possibly hiding? She was being too defensive for her own good.

"You told me, if we ever meet again, I'll tell you everything," he reminded her.

Sighing, she closed her eyes before opening them back. She found herself deeply concentrated in his orbs and it mesmerized her into spilling her whole heart out to this, this stranger. This perfect stranger. _Her _perfect stranger.

"It's from abuse," she confessed. "That's why I cringed so bad when you bumped into me the other day. And now, falling off the ladder only made it worse."

Unwilling to believe her, John shook his head. His perfect stranger's been abused? No. How could anyone put their hands on her? She was too beautiful to damage like this.

"Who did this to you?"

She didn't answer, but he stayed persistent. He lightly pushed her chip up to relocate her eyes back to him. "You promised you'd tell me everything."

"M-m-miz," she muttered, her voice breaking in between the simple syllable.

Angered, John stepped back. A rush came over him and suddenly, nothing became more important than beating the life out of Miz. He was determined to make him feel the pain that he had caused this poor girl, and ten times worse.

"No please, don't do anything," she pleaded, desperately pulling his hand.

"He deserves it though," John began to reason but she overrode him.

"No, you can't. Please, it's not gonna help me if he's physically damaged like I am. That may seem like the best revenge, but I can find a safer and better way out."

Sighing, John released his firm clutch. "Aight. I wont kick his ass if you promise me two more things."

Ready to negotiate, she nodded her head and waited for the circumstances.

"First, you have to tell me your name," he said. "And second, you have to include me in your plans. Since I'm doing you a favor by not kicking his ass, you have to do me a favor by reminding me why I shouldn't."

Sighing, she only nodded in response. This deal was hard to take in but she felt forced into accepting. This guy seemed firm and persistent with his wishes and she didn't have enough strength to wiggle her way into her own.

"My name's Roxanne," she mentioned, remembering her easier end of the deal.

Nodding, John stuck his limb out for a handshake. "I'm John. John Cena."

She sighed before releasing her hand from his grip.

"Tell me though, why is Miz doing this to you? Is he your brother? An angry friend?" he asked.

Roxanne shook her head.

"He's my boyfriend."

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Review? Thanks beautifuls! :D

_May 15, 2010._


	3. Free Pass

**Chapter 3**  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own anyone from the WWE.

**Author's Note, **_December 4 2010:_ I know, I know, I suck at finishing my stories but here's another try. Read the first two chapters if you need refreshers. And excuse how rusty I am right now. I hope you enjoy!

* * *

"You're lucky I love you," Elizabeth said, as she twirled her hair once more.

Grinning, John kissed her cheek before taking her hand and walking towards the crowd of people. They were headed to a signing and it was their second event of the day. It had already been a long one, and to her dismay, the day itself had barely started. It was just one in the afternoon. But she was right, John was lucky she loved him. She provided him everything his career failed to. The days he had off from work were easily absorbed by her. She did everything he could ever ask for. And that, that was the problem. For some reason, she felt entitlement to everything.

"Do we really have to go to the party tonight? You have a life other than your job," she mentioned as John said good-bye to the last fan. He smiled at the crowd before turning his attention to his wife.

"Elizabeth," he said sternly.

"Don't Elizabeth me," she ordered. "I've never been to New York and I'd rather spend it with _you_. Not you and your co-workers, or you and your fans. I just want my husband."

Sighing, John reluctantly spoke, "Alright but I wanna stop by real quick. I don't wanna be a total flake."

"Five minutes," she ordered simply.

"Fifteen," John countered.

* * *

Roxanne took hold of her tenth shot and immediately downed it like a glass of water. She was no drinker, but for these rare occasions, she put her high-tolerance to good use.

"Are you sure everything's okay?" Melina asked. "You never drink. What's going on?"

"Nothing, don't worry," she advised. "I'm just having fun tonight."

"Aren't you always the one telling us to have fun soberly? What is this?"

"Hypocrisy at it's finest," Roxanne answered proudly. She flashed her friend a smile before walking away, as proper as she possibly could.

"Whoa, are you alright?" a manly voice asked as Roxanne became a victim of gravity. He immediately grabbed her arm and helped her up. Out of all people, him? Really?

"I missed you," he said.

"Miz," she mumbled quietly. As soon as she met his eyes, the strength in her voice became more apparent. "Just stop. I'm not-"

"What? You're not awesome anymore?" Miz chuckled.

"I'm not gonna put up with this tonight," Roxanne said calmly before swiftly making exit from the conversation. Miz nodded his head and watched as she got further and further away. He kept the dirty smirk on his face; that was her free pass. First and last.

"Johhhhhn, it's been fifteen minutes," Elizabeth whined as she circled her arm around her husband's.

He looked around the club once more and said his goodbyes to everyone he saw. For some reason, he couldn't make eye contact. His eyes were just as scattered as his mind was; he couldn't quite figure out what led him to come here in the first place. Sure, he didn't want to seem like a flake and completely bail on his friends. But if that was really the case, why'd he spend all his time looking around, as if being present for a few minutes to say hello and goodbye wasn't enough?

Filled with a web of questions, John finally left with his wife to spend time with her, and her only.

* * *

"See, wasn't our time better spent this way?" Elizabeth asked once they entered the hotel lobby. They had just gotten back from what seemed like an endless date. Priceless, for the better word.

John smiled at his wife and answered yes genuinely. They walked hand in hand towards their room until John's senses became more amplified with what he saw. It was her, Roxanne. She was sitting against the wall with her knees propped up to her chest and her head against the wall. It looked as if it were the only thing that kept her together. John's instinct would've led him to run up to her but the influence of the woman next to him was much stronger. So instead, he stood there and stared.

Roxanne rocked her head from left to right and started laughing. It then became apparent to the couple she was intoxicated, rather than hurt. Finding this out didn't make John feel any better. She obviously wasn't in the best state she could possibly be in and there he was, nearly helpless.

"Oh," Elizabeth said, as she looked down on Roxanne as if she were a murder scene. "Let's go John."

"Go ahead," John said simply.

His wife pulled his hand back so he'd turn to face her. Did he really just say that? That was the most absurd thing she's ever heard of. Her husband wanting to help some poor drunk girl on the floor? Didn't he have better things to do? He wasn't superman after all and she sure as hell didn't look worthy of any help. At least, not to Elizabeth. But of course, _she_ was the unfortunate one. She stayed oblivious to her husband's true intentions.

"Go ahead, I'll be there in a few," John repeated.

"John-"

"Liz, just let me make sure she's somewhere safe," he said and it felt good. Not because he stood up to her for the first time today but because he fought for something worth it. "If I find out something happens to her, I wouldn't be okay with myself."

Rolling her eyes, Elizabeth didn't say a word. She crossed her arms then disappeared from view.

Sighing, John knelt down beside Roxanne and stroked her hair. "Hey," he said.

She giggled again. "Who was that?"

"Elizabeth," he answered in vain.

"Is she your lover? Doesn't sound like she's gotten laid-" Roxanne started to say until she fell into a pit of laughter.

John couldn't help but chuckle at her remark. She was right though, for the most part. The second part.

"We needa get you to your room," John stated concerned.

She shook her head against the wall and seriously said, "But but floors are comfy. Floors are safe."

"Rox, you should be resting in your room right now."

Roxanne released herself from the wall and used her pointer finger to signal John to come closer. As he did, she began to whisper, "I cant. Miz sleeps there."

Realizing her point, John ran through his contacts and called the first diva that appeared.

"Melina? Can Roxanne stay with you for the night? No? Why not? Oh- alright, bye," John hung up and sighed. He watched as Roxanne slowly closed her eyes and fell asleep against him. He decided to call a few others until one finally said yes. Taking Roxanne into his arms, he carried her into room 707.

"Thanks Eve," John said as soon as he laid Roxanne down.

"No problem," Eve said. "Anything for a friend."

Nodding his head, John looked over at Roxanne. "Keep her safe for me alright? I'll check up on her tomorrow morning. If she wakes up before I get here, feed her a banana or something. Get her plenty of water too."

"Yes Dr. Cena," Eve laughed. "I've taken a few hangovers in my lifetime, I think I know what to do with her. Don't worry, she'll be fine. Why are you so concerned anyway? It's just a hangover."

_Yeah but she's not just another person_, John thought. "Well, I'm not totally careless."

"Others would beg to differ," she mumbled, looking away.

"What'd you say?" Cena shifted his view from Roxanne to the diva.

"Oh, it's nothing. Some people just think you get really one dimensional. You know, whenever your wife's around. We understand though."

"Mm, yeah," John shrugged right before turning his gaze back to Roxanne. "What can I do."

"Exactly," Eve nodded. "I get it, she's important to you."

"Yeah, that's why you have to make sure she gets a good night's sleep, alright?"

"Huh? Your wife?"

John shook his head. There was obviously some loss in translation. How could he have gotten his wife and Roxanne mixed up in the conversation? Of course his wife was important to him, but Roxanne? As crazy as it might sound, in some case, she was too. He was doing everything he could to make sure she's taken care of. What's wrong for caring about someone's well-being?

"Roxanne, I meant," John corrected.

Eve laughed again. "You already said that. Quit being so antsy John, she'll be okay. I promise."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," John's eyes traveled around the room slowly. He felt guilty for some reason, as if worrying about someone was a crime. It wasn't, but why did it still feel like it?

"Well, I'm gonna go now, I'll see you tomorrow morning?"

"Yes, John. Have a goodnight," Eve said.

And with that, John took one last glance at Roxanne before making his way back to his room. He didn't have much time to ruminate. As soon as he got to his destination, his wife stole all his thoughts.

"What took you so long?" she immediately asked.

"I had to find her a room," he answered simply.

"That's your free pass, Cena," she stated. "First and last."

"What are you talking about?"

"Be careful with how you spend your time from now on. You obviously messed up ours tonight," she answered, right before turning her body to face the wall.

Rubbing his forehead, John sighed. He bailed on his friends to take her around the city yet he still messed tonight up? Shaking his head, John did the only thing he could do. Go to bed and find a way to make it up to his wife.

* * *

3:37. Did he read that right?

John's eyes widened as soon as it registered in his mind that the clock wasn't lying. It was indeed three in the afternoon and although he never favored waking up late, there was nothing he could do. Looking around, he saw his wife still fast asleep. He got off the bed and covered her bare body.

"Eve!" John said as soon as her voice percolated from his phone.

_"Oh hi, John. Did you just wake up?"_

"Yeah- is um, is Roxanne alright?"

_"She should be,"_ Even answered simply.

"She should be? What do you mean?"

_"Well, I had to run errands and she was still asleep before I left. I'm pretty sure she's awake right now."_

"Any idea where she could be?"

_"Probably still in the room or out somewhere. She should be fine though."_

Sighing, John excused himself from the conversation and immediately hung up. He glanced at his wife for a second before heading to room 707. He knocked and to his surprise, the door swung open.

"John! What are you doing here?" Roxanne questioned.

"I um- I just wanted to make sure you were okay from last night," he answered.

She smiled. "Yeah I'm fine. Waking up here freaked me out but Eve left me a note and explained everything. I'm sure this is better than sleeping with Miz, anyway."

Nodding, John unconsciously moved himself into the room. "How is everything now?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Same shit, different day, I guess."

Shaking his head, John took a seat on the edge of the bed. Her answer wasn't good enough. "Why?"

"What do you mean why?" she asked, taking a seat on the chair across from him.

"Why is Miz still a part of your life? He doesn't deserve you and-"

"And it's not as easy as you think. I can't just leave-"

"Because you wont let yourself. If you really wanted to leave, you have every right and every chance to."

"No I don't actually-"

"Yes you do, Rox," John insisted.

"No, I don't. How are you gonna act like you know everything? I may look stupid for being stuck in this situation but give me some credit-"

"I never said you were stupid. I just think you have room to make better decisions for yourself," John explained.

"I am, okay?" Roxanne said calmly. "I'm trying."

Nodding, John got up from the bed and signaled her into a hug. Without much thought, Roxanne embraced it and immediately felt no regret. Who knew a single hug could revive the calmness she'd been deprived of for weeks.

John partly let go, which then provide room for her to look up at him.

"I'ma check up on you again, alright? Things better have improved by then," he said.

Nodding lightly, Roxanne brought her head back to rest against him.

It took nearly every ounce of his body to let go, and once he did, he immediately felt regret. But he had to, he had a wife to get back to.

"I'll see you next time alright? Take care of yourself," John ordered.

Nodding again, Roxanne stole a few more seconds to look up at her stranger. Sure, she knew his name and this was definitely not their first conversation. But his intentions were still unspoken for, she had no idea why he seemed to care so much, and quite frankly, she had no idea how a promising future for them seemed to come about. See you next time? A couple days ago, they'd never even crossed paths. And now there they were, in the friendliest form of embrace. When in fact, they weren't even friends.

Roxanne chuckled right before turning away and heading towards the door. Of course, John followed but with a puzzled look on his face.

"What's so funny?" he asked.

Shaking her head, Roxanne kept her mouth shut then propped it into an innocent smile. She continued to stare into his orbs before opening the door ajar.

"So first, you laugh at me. Now you're gonna kick me out?" John asked, with a smile to match hers. "I know I said I'll see you next time but I never said anything about leaving."

"Well, I know I led you to the door and I know I opened it but I never said anything about kicking you out," Roxanne fired back.

Falling into a full laugh, John scratched the back of his head. She got him there.

"You're-" John began to say until the his phone went off and interrupted him. He grabbed the device and immediately answered. "Hello? Liz…did you just wake up?"

His eyes fell into Roxanne's and suddenly, his ability to speak became minimal.

"I-uhh, uhh- I," he stuttered. "Huh?"

Smiling, Roxanne excused herself and walked back in the main room.

John then focused his attention into the phone call. "I was heading to the gym actually but if you want to do something else- alright, I'll come back up. Uh huh…yeah…yeah…okay."

John continued to listen to his wife's orders and he started pacing until Roxanne reappeared back in sight.

"I love you too, bye," John returned with pursed lips. He felt the color of his face wash out as Roxanne got closer.

"Your girlfriend?" Roxanne asked.

"My wife, actually," John answered monotonically.

"Oh," she said, nodding her head lightly.

Silence.

"Well, I um, I wanted to give you this," she continued. She stuck her hand out in a fist.

"Your hand?" John raised his eyebrows.

She chucked. "Open it."

Taking his left hand, John placed it under hers as support. He then used his right hand to pry open her fingers and there appeared a rock. He smiled as he turned it over, expecting traces of ink, but he saw none.

"Write whatever crosses your mind," she said simply.

John nodded as he took the rock and slipped it into his pocket. His left hand stayed perfectly still until he used it to unconsciously pull Roxanne into another hug. He did this a lot - these unconsciously driven actions - whenever she was around.

This hug had the same effect on both of them as last time, but it lasted much longer.

"Rox," John breathed.

"Yeah?" she mumbled against the cotton of his shirt.

"Let's fix a day to see each other," he suggested.

Parting from the embrace, she looked at him with her eyebrows in a scrunch. "What?"

"I wanna talk to you more," he explained. "It doesn't have to be anything big, I just want more time with you. If… if that's okay."

Stunned, Roxanne shifted her sight away from him. She opened her mouth to speak but no words came out.

"If you don't want to-" John began to say and she immediately returned her eyes on him.

"I do but-" she paused. "Are you sure?"

John nodded and smiled. "Hell yeah. Rox, I wouldn't have asked if I wasn't."

"I know but…" her words trailed off for a few seconds. "Alright."

"Are _you _sure?"

Roxanne nodded.

"Cos I don't wanna see some rock on the floor with words that say _'Forget John' _or something like that," he joked.

"If I were to talk shit, I wouldn't put it on some rock," she explained. "Especially since you like to steal them."

"That wasn't stealing," John excused. "I was trying to return it to you."

Nodding, Roxanne pulled the door handle closer towards her. "You should go though, your wife's waiting."

"Oh yeah," John said lightly. His suddenly felt his body turn numb and all he could do now was walk away. He got halfway passed the door when he turned back around and said, "So tomorrow."

"What?"

"I'll swing by here at seven," John stated. "That'll be our day."

Which just happens to be the exact same day his wife has to fly back home.


	4. Friends

**Chapter 4  
Disclaimer: **I don't own anyone from the WWE.

* * *

"Is it wrong to hang out with John _alone_?" Roxanne asked as she freely allowed her body to fall against the bed sheets.

"No," Eve answered without question.

"Are you sure?" Roxanne question. She immediately sat up, which provided her more energy to keep the conversation going. "He has a wife."

Eve shot her friend a sharp look. "So what? Are you saying married guys can't have female friends?"

"No," she answered slowly. Obviously, her tone of voice left room for more question and she used the next few seconds to finalize her answer. "They can but I don't know how his wife would feel."

"Yeah I understand," Eve nodded. "Especially _his_."

"So I shouldn't go, right?"

"Oh, don't be so ridiculous!" Eve laughed. "Of course you should! Please, John deserves to have a few friends in this life of his. Do you know how bossy Liz is? She's thousands of miles away yet somehow, she still manages puppet his every move. He's actually taking initiative to do something other than what she orders. So, let him, let him hang out with you."

Eve's rant began to sink in and Roxanne's shoulders eased up. She leaned against the headboard and sighed without saying a word.

"Roxy… there's really nothing wrong with spending time with a friend. Just go for it," she advised. "John's found an outlet to air out whatever he needs to and it just happens to be through you."

"That's the problem," Roxanne fussed. "Why do I feel responsible for something? As if we're using each other or... I don't know."

"Friends are supposed to be useful, right? I really don't see what the problem is," Eve said. "Just relax."

"I guess I'm over thinking things," Roxanne concluded in a shrug.

* * *

"Fly home soon," Liz pleaded as she trailed her way towards the departure gate. She was walking with her husband, at the airport, whom she turned to slightly when he didn't respond to her wishes. "John?"

Nodding, John turned his face to look at her and smiled. "I will, don't worry. Just relax and have a safe trip, alright? Call me when you land."

"I will," Liz nodded. "I love you."

"I love you too," he replied, as he hugged and kissed his wife good-bye. He watched as the physical distance between them grew, oblivious to the other kind of distance starting before them.

* * *

"I'm not completely happy," John confessed openly. He had just spent the past three hours with Roxanne at a diner and it was now ten o'clock at night. They took turns conversing about the veneer of their emotions and finally, they were getting somewhere deeper. "Something doesn't feel right anymore," he continued.

Roxanne nodded silently, cautious to say anything about this delicate matter.

"I've been quietly trying to figure it out but nothing's made sense," he said as he started playing with the unused utensils. He had just unwrapped them from the napkin before turning them over and over at hand. He fixed his sight at this action and continued to speak. "That is… until now."

John looked up to meet her stare. Taken aback, Roxanne managed to utter a 'what?' in the conversation.

"I hadn't known what I wanted for myself. But I saw something in you that I want in my life. Does that sound creepy?" John chuckled as he asked. He tried to withdraw from the depth of their conversation by asking a casual question. "I don't know how else to explain it."

"I-I don't understand," Roxanne stuttered. She couldn't believe what words had just escaped his lips and for some reason, she felt a bit of discomfort and guilt. An inward groan couldn't seem to pacify her emotions, either.

"You don't mind being my friend right?" he asked rather innocently.

The problem was, none of this seemed innocent to Roxanne.

"No, I don't…" she said, missing to include the 'but' part in her answer.

"Good," John smiled. "How about you, how have things been since we met?"

Roxanne opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. What was she supposed to say? Better yet, what was he expecting her to say?

"Horrible?" John joked. "Or has it been that good that I left you speechless?"

Looking down at her coffee mug, Roxanne grabbed a hold of it and brought it towards her lips. She took a sip and set it back down before she allowed her voice to be heard again. "Actually, I have been thinking about this and…"

She paused and the trouble in her voice didn't go unnoticed by John. He made himself mute as his way of urging her to continue. He refused to intrude into her train of thought, especially since this specifically regarded him. He wanted to know. He _needed _to know.

"I'm not quite sure where this is supposed to go?" she stated unsurely. There was question written all over her face and none of the words she just said seemed to make any sense.

But it did to John. He immediately responded, "A friendship. Is there a problem with that?"

"No," she answered shortly.

The two gazed into each other's orbs and allowed a few seconds of silence to pass.

"Listen," John began. "I know I may have come off pretty strong and I promise I'm not as creepy as I've been making myself out to be. It's just…I was drawn to you somehow and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to get to know you. You know, as a friend."

She heard the last word of his sentence loud and clear and a feeling of embarrassment washed over her. Constantly, the word _'friend'_ had been brought up but only now did it finally register. All along, he's been after a _friend_. How damaging could that possibly be? Why had she put so much worry into nothing? She felt like a fool. But soon after, the word _wife_ came back to mind and she immediately regressed to old worries.

"John, believe me, I have absolutely no problem being your friend," she started to say. "If anything, I kinda like it."

John immediately smiled and felt his cheeks turn red.

"It's just, you have a wife and I don't want to disrespect her," Roxanne admitted, finally.

The smile on John's face disappeared and he shifted into his seat uncomfortably. He swallowed the lump in his throat before he began to talk, "You know, to be honest with you, I'm not exactly sure how Liz would feel about this either. But for once, I don't really care. I mean, I'm not doing anything wrong. We're not doing anything wrong. Right?"

"Right but-" Roxanne began to protest but something in his eyes told her to stop. She saw a sense of desperation in him and she felt entitled to pacify his needs. She planned to execute that by doing exactly what he's been doing with her: by being a friend.

"I understand," Roxanne said, finally. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to be your friend."

Returning to a smile, John nodded in agreement.

* * *

"If John were a single man, I'd think you were doing the walk of shame," Eve commented as she watched her friend creep into their hotel room at seven in the morning.

"Shut up," Roxanne used the energy she had left to laugh.

"You know what they say, aint nothing open past three AM but some legs," Eve joked.

"You would know," Roxanne returned, as she sat down on the foot of her bed. "We were just in his rental car, Eve."

"Oh don't worry, you don't have to explain yourself to me," she said. "I know you guys didn't do anything wrong."

"Of course we didn't," Roxanne confirmed. "We talked, and talked, and talked about absolutely everything. That's it. That's all we were doing for the past twelve hours."

Nodding at her friend in approval, Eve smiled and said, "That sounds good. You guys both needed that, I'm sure."

"We did actually," Roxanne realized. She allowed her body to fall freely against the bed as she began to think about the last few hours with John. She missed him already.

* * *

"John!"

John stopped his tracks as he heard his name get called out. He didn't bother turning to face the speaker. He already had an idea of who's voice it belonged to and if he was correct, that person didn't deserve a nice welcome. As soon as the figure caught up to him, his predictions were confirmed.

"I saw you with my girl this morning, what was that about?" Miz questioned.

John only laughed.

Miz put his hands on either side of his waist and moved closer towards John.

"I was simply walking a girl back to her hotel room to make sure she made it in safe. Get that stick outta your ass Miz," he suggested before walking away.

Miz was left unsatisfied so he followed John and said, "Excuse me, Cena, I don't think you should be mouthin me that way. I'm sure your wife wouldn't approve."

"Don't even bring her into this," John hissed.

"I'll stay away from your bitch, if you stay away from mine," Miz tormented.

John clenched his jaw and made a fist before turning to face the other man. It took every single ounce of his strength to stray from throwing a punch but Roxanne's voice in his head overpowered his anger.

'_No please, don't do anything,' _he remembered her saying. She seemed so definitive towards making sure he didn't meddle with Miz himself and he had promised to satisfy that wish. John knew this personal attack shouldn't change anything and he easily reminded himself of what's more important. Roxanne.

"Don't you ever call her that again," John spoke, unclear of which her he was referring to.

"Or what?" Miz laughed. "Huh, Cena? You didn't do anything now, what'd be different next time?"

John's curled his fist tighter to the point it began to turn white. Miz was clearly trying to pull on his every nerve and instantly became more worthy of a good beat. However, John concluded he'd get no real satisfaction from that and so he chose to do the next best thing. He took a step back and walked away.

"That's what I thought," Miz laughed as he watched him get further into the distance. He waited until the sight of John disappeared completely before he took his next action. He had to find Roxanne. He walked through the hallways and stopped until he reached a familiar area.

"Melina! Open the door," Miz ordered as he banged against it.

"What do you want?" she asked as the door swung open.

"Where's Roxanne?"

"I don't know."

"Well if you see her, tell her I'm looking-" Miz paused as soon as he heard female voices turn the corner. He looked to their direction and his eyes landed on Eve. Right next to her was Roxanne.

Miz immediately parted from Melina's door and headed towards his girlfriend.

"Hey, lemme talk to you," he ordered.

"I have stuff to do with Eve," she stated.

"That can wait. Let's go back to our room and talk."

Sighing, Roxanne looked at her diva friend reluctantly before taking the place right next to Miz. Eve was ready to protest but Roxanne immediately shook her head and said, "It's fine, don't worry. I can't avoid him forever."

"Damn right," Miz agreed. He grabbed her arm and lead her to the room. The walk was awfully quiet and it left Roxanne holding onto suspense.

"I still meant what I said the other night," Miz mentioned as soon as they got into the room.

"What are you talking about?"

"I missed you," he said.

Roxanne let out a long sigh before taking a seat on the foot of their bed. Obviously, his words didn't mean a thing to her and she almost regretted putting herself through this torment.

"Why aren't you saying anything?"

"What am I supposed to say? Lie and say I missed you too?" Roxanne replied in question form.

Miz laughed. "Oh, you're little miss feisty now aren't you? How about I take it upon my hands to tame you back down, huh?"

He got on top of her and went straight to the usual. He pinned her arms down and started kissing her neck, while his hands trailed her body until it reached the zipper of her jeans. He'd done this numerous times and each time seemed to feel even worse. Roxanne had learned over time it was useless to scream, kick, or fight. She never won and she never figured out why she allowed herself to be put through this over and over again. However, he was there to remind her. Rather than unzipping her jeans, Miz crashed his lips against hers and she immediately felt alerted. He never kissed her. At least, not ever since he started physically abusing her.

"Miz-" she tried to mutter through his lips but he stayed persistent in whatever he was trying to do. He kept kissing her and passionately, if he even knew of such a thing. His right hand cupped her jaw while his left one massaged her scalp gently. She had no idea what was going on and for the first time, in what seemed like forever, Miz was actually doing something that felt good to her. She resorted to finally closing her eyes and allowing his actions take over her. She kissed him back and pushed every single worry aside.

Miz then returned his attention back to her zipper. He looked up at her and she stared wonderingly.

"What are you doing?" she asked softly.

Miz removed his hands again, from her zipper, and allowed himself to explain. "Listen, the time I've had away from you these past few days really got me thinking."

Roxanne desperately tried to filter through her burdened thoughts to try and understand this man. She couldn't. None of his words were making sense and if they did, they weren't believable.

"I've been stressed out for months and poor you had to take the beating for it. Literally. Now, you know I haven't always been physical towards you and it's…it's the alcohol Roxanne. I'll stop drinking and we can go back to how we used to be. Huh? What do you say?"

She swallowed the knot in her throat and even so, she still couldn't find the words to respond.

Miz continued, "I'll make it up to you, I have a plan."

* * *

_Rox, let's hang out after the house show? _

Roxanne read over the text she had gotten from John hours ago. She hadn't replied and it wasn't because she didn't want to, but because she didn't know if she could. She read over the text a few more times and just as she built up enough courage to reject his offer, via text, she received an incoming call from him.

Her finger hovered over the reject button but her impulse made her press the talk button instead.

She held the phone up to her ear and answered reluctantly, "Hello?"

"_Rox, did you get my texts?"_

"Y-yeah, I did."

"_So can I see you after the show? I have a surprise for you."_

Silence.

"_Rox, are you there?"_

"Yeah, yeah, I'm here. But um, a surprise?" she questioned.

"_Yeah, a surprise. We'll meet at the exact same place I parked my car this morning. Does that sound alright?"_

"Yeah," she answered simply.

"_Are you okay?" _John asked concerned.

"Yeah," she repeated.

"_I'm not sure if I believe you Rox, but I'll do something about that later," _he promised.

She laughed softly against the phone which in return, made John relax. He heard the uncertainty in her voice and his mind itched to find out why. Hearing her laugh allowed waiting to see her again seem more bearable.

"I'll be there, John," she said, gaining some strength back into her voice. "I'll just talk to you then."

_"I can't wait,"_ he said honestly.

* * *

John nervously tapped his fingers against the steering wheel. He'd been waiting in his car for ten minutes but still had no sight of Roxanne. He would've called her but he assumed there was just some minor delay. Besides, he refused to blow up her inbox and come off as a nagger. He'd done that enough.

Anxious, John decided to shift his attention elsewhere. He grabbed his phone and called his wife but just like the last few times, he got her voicemail. He decided to call her again and right as he put the phone against his ear, someone knocked on his passenger window. It was Roxanne.

He smiled and immediately hung up the phone. He let Roxanne in and she apologized, "I'm sorry I took so long. It was kinda hard to get away from Miz."

John frowned.

"Were you on the phone?" she asked, quickly changing the subject.

John shook his head and started the engine. "Nah, she didn't answer."

"Liz?"

"Yeah," he shrugged. "It's weird. She always answers. Actually, she's always the one to call but I haven't gotten anything."

"She's landed though, right?"

"Yeah, she called me right when she got home but I haven't heard from her since. I mean, it's no big deal. I'm sure she's okay."

"Yeah but you should still call her one more time before you go to sleep tonight," Roxanne advised.

Sensing her concern, John smiled. He loved the way she cared and understood everything.

"Wait, where are we going?" she asked finally, as they reached their first stoplight.

"It's a surprise remember?"

Roxanne stared at him wonderingly before turning her sight on the road. John, however, failed to do so. The red light had switched to green and the several cars behind him started to honk.

"Damn Rox, look what you did," John teased. "You're a big distraction."

"Well I'm sorry for being so good at it," she apologized jokingly. "Sue me."

"I would charge you with other things, if I could," he mentioned. "Is cheating a crime?"

"What?" Roxanne looked over at John with scrunched eyebrows.

He just laughed and shook his head. "I don't even know what I'm talking about."

"Anyways," Roxanne cleared her throat. "Wait…are we here already?"

She felt the car come to a halt. She looked out the window and saw they were already parked against the sidewalk. John got out and immediately opened her door. She walked out and looked up at the building in front of her. It was some fancy looking bakery that could've easily been mistaken for a five star restaurant. He grabbed her hand and led her inside. She didn't know what to say, so instead, she looked around the place in awe. Chocolate is a girl's best friend after all.

"Hey I was wondering if Christian, the baker, I had talked to earlier, was still here?" John asked the man over the counter. Roxanne looked over at John and shot him a questioning look. He returned the gesture by walking her to a table and sitting her down.

"I'll be right back," he said. Obviously, he's been orchestrating this all day.

She opened her mouth to protest but John left before she could utter a word. She was left to simply stare and luckily, there was a lot to look at.

"I remember you telling me, you've always wanted to try red velvet pancakes," John stated.

Roxanne immediately looked up and her eyes met the most gorgeous stack of pancakes she's ever seen in her life. Her mouth literally dropped.

John smiled as he set the plate down for them to eat. He stared at her as she stared at it.

"Are you gonna eat it?"

"John," she started to say. She looked up at him like a child would look at Santa Claus.

"Let's just eat," he said proudly. And that, they did. The two devoured the plate completely, down to every single crumb.

"Mmmmm, that was so good," Roxanne commented, licking her fork clean.

John only smiled. He set his own fork down on the empty plate and leaned in closer towards the table.

"So about earlier," he mentioned. "Were you okay? Are you okay? Your tone of voice didn't convince me you were."

Roxanne put her fork down before she engaged herself into the conversation. She knew where this was going and the happy bubble, that the pancakes provided, suddenly popped.

"Yeah…I-I have to tell you something," she confessed.

"What is it?" he asked curiously.

She looked around the bakery and saw a few other customers enjoying their food. John quickly got the memo.

"Do you wanna go somewhere else to talk about it?" he asked her and she nodded. "Let's go back to the hotel, it's not too far from here anyway."

The ride back was quiet and it pained John. They've never encountered silence that lasted this long and he couldn't help but wonder what was going on. He let out a long sigh as he reached a stop light. He stole a glance at Roxanne, who'd been busy staring out the window the whole time. He grabbed her hand and she only looked back at him with a blank stare.

"What's wrong?" he asked. He just couldn't wait until they got to the hotel.

She pulled her hand away from his and forced a smile. He knew it was fake and he knew he'd have to wait to find out why.

Finally, they pulled up to the parking lot and everything after that became a blur. John became too anxious and all he did was watch the color on Roxanne's face drain away. There was obviously something wrong. She didn't say a word until they reached the elevator.

"Thank you, John, for surprising me with the pancakes," she mentioned. "It really got my mind off of everything."

John allowed a small smile to form his lips before he replied, "No problem, Rox. It got my mind off of everything too, but I wanna know. What's wrong?"

Before she had the chance to answer, a _DING! _went off that indicated they had reached their floor. As they exited the elevator, Roxanne spoke, "Nothing's wrong, it's just, stuff happened earlier and-"

She paused as John opened the door to his room. "Uh huh," he said then looked onto her for the rest of her sentence. Roxanne opened her mouth to speak but someone else's voice got out before hers.

"SURPRISE!"

John and Roxanne looked into his room and saw who's voice it belonged to. It was Liz.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Oooh, Liz is back already? How is she gonna react to seeing them together? And what does Roxanne have to tell John? Review and let me know what you guys think :)

_December 21, 2010_


	5. No Expiration Date

**Chapter 5**  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own anyone from the WWE.

* * *

At this point, who consumed the most surprise was hard to measure. Roxanne and John didn't expect his wife to be there, and his wife surely didn't expect Roxanne to be there. For a second, all would've agreed the worst just happened and there was no hope to undo the damage. Luckily, Roxanne was able to filter through the shock in order to obviate further complications.

"So John, my rock," she said sternly. She looked at him as if her eyes were trying to tell him something else. "Where's my rock?"

"Uh…" John uttered. His mind was stuck and he couldn't quite follow where Roxanne was trying to go.

"I'm here to get my rock back," she explained more clearly, hoping he'd understand her pretext.

"Oh!" John exclaimed. Finally, he realized the excuse she was using for being in his presence. It was obviously a lie but only the both of them knew that.

"My husband has your rock?" Liz finally spoke.

"Yeah," Roxanne laughed, desperately trying to mask her guilt. She couldn't quite decide what was worse: lying to her or hanging out with her husband behind her back.

"I see," Liz said slowly, disgust clearly present in her voice. She nodded slowly as her lips pursed tightly and her eyes trailed Roxanne from head to toe. Not only was this tense, but awkward as well.

"I'll be right back," John said, passing by his wife.

Roxanne formed a small grin and nodded. She crossed her arms and shifted more weight on her left leg as she waited. Liz, on the other hand, shook her head and followed her husband into the room.

"Who keeps rocks? And why in the world do you have hers?" Liz asked, as she watched her husband dig through his belongings.

John knew these questions were imminent but he still couldn't bring himself to answer. So instead, he ignored her and used searching for the rock as an excuse to do so.

"John," she said more sternly.

He took a second to look up at her. "What?"

"Never mind. Just find the damn rock and give it back to her already."

He let out a long sigh. Then finally, he found it.

"I'm sorry this," John apologized. He handed the rock to Roxanne, relieved his wife hadn't followed him out.

"Don't worry about it, John, it's okay," she smiled genuinely. "If anything, I should be sorry."

"No Rox, you didn't do anything wrong. _We_ didn't do anything wrong, remember?"

"Yeah but your wife might think so and that's what'll matter."

Sighing, John looked down and didn't say a word. He couldn't reply to that. He knew frustration would've bled through his voice and that was the last thing he wanted Roxanne to hear.

"I should get going now," she said. "I really hope you guys will be okay."

Nodding, John mentally prepared himself to give her a hug but she left too soon. By the time he looked up, she was already past reaching distance.

"Take care, Rox."

She looked back and smiled, then continued walking. She did so until she was out of John's sight and into the elevator. She held the rock in both hands and expected it to be ink-free. But it wasn't. She examined it closer and read '_Roxanne_'.

Suddenly, she remembered what she told John right after she gave it to him, '_Write whatever crosses your mind'. _

He had written her name and she wasn't quite sure what _this_ was supposed to mean. Whatever it was, it left her smiling.

* * *

Closing the door behind him, John banged his head against it and gathered a few seconds to calm down. It felt impossible. Not only was Roxanne gone, but his wife was here and it meant trouble. He sighed.

"John!" he heard, along with footsteps that came his way. "What is going on?"

"Liz, please," he pleaded. "There's no need to overreact."

"I tried surprising my husband and what do I see? Him with someone else."

"Liz, you act you caught us having sex. She's just a friend, alright?"

His wife didn't reply.

"Why haven't you been answering your phone anyway?" he asked, changing the subject. He was desperate to divert the topic.

"I was on the plane," she answered simply.

Releasing himself from the door, John made his way towards his wife and hugged her. He's been needing one ever since his first chance walked away.

* * *

"You don't like cuddling with me, do you?" John asked. He and his wife were sitting on the bed, drinking their morning coffee.

Liz laughed and shook her head. "That's a silly question."

"Not really," he disagreed. "When was the last time we cuddled?"

His wife shrugged and turned to look at him. She squinted her eyes and asked, "Does it matter?"

John shrugged.

"I don't know, you're just too big and buff to cuddle with I guess," she reasoned.

John didn't know how to respond and luckily, he didn't have to. His phone started ringing and so he grabbed the device. The screen indicated he was getting an incoming call from Roxanne. He diligently stared at it for a few seconds, debating whether or not to answer. Usually, he would've without question, but having his wife next to him was a different story.

"Who is it?" Liz asked.

Pressing the ignore button, John lied, "I don't know, it's a restricted number."

"Hmm, I see. Do you get those calls often?"

"Not really," he answered, anxiously eyeing his phone. It felt impossible to disregard the missed call so he had to do something. He needed a distraction.

"Let's pack," he suggested.

"Do we have to now?" Liz whined. "We don't leave the hotel for another three hours."

John shrugged. "You don't have to but I will."

* * *

The husband and wife walked side by side in silence through the airline crowds. Rather than each other's voices, they listened to the snippets of conversations they passed through and their luggage rolling against the floor. This was normal. The couple had been dry with conversations for awhile now. Luckily, it went unnoticed and so everything felt fine. Though, it really wasn't.

"I have to go to the restroom," Liz finally spoke. "I'm gonna change into my sweat suit."

John shot his wife an unsatisfied look and questioned, "Why didn't you do that in the hotel room?"

"I didn't have time. I was packing," she excused.

"I told you to do that earlier."

"Oh well," she shrugged. "No use in arguing about it now."

John let out a sigh and didn't bother watching his wife leave. Instead, he gathered their luggage together and sat down on an empty bench. Putting a hand against his forehead, he sighed some more. He released his hand and placed both on either side of him and slouched forward.

He must have stared at the ground for a whole minute before someone interrupted him. It was Eve.

"Have you seen Roxanne?" she asked.

John looked up with an open mouth and a blank stare.

Eve laughed. "She forgot this in our room. She must've been in a hurry to catch her flight."

John looked at what she had in hand and saw a necklace with a ring as a pendant. "I'll take it and give it to her."

"Are you sure you'll be able to still see her?" the diva asked.

John nodded as he was handed the piece of jewelry. He eyed it for a second before carefully slipping it into his pocket.

"Alright then, I'll see you around," Eve said.

He gave a nod and waved her goodbye before grabbing his cell phone. He finally had a chance to return that call.

"Roxanne! Where are you?" he asked, pleased with technology, more so than ever.

"_I'm-I'm about to leave."_

John chuckled. "Of course you are. That's why we're all in the airport, right? For the next city."

"_Uh-huh…"_

He frowned. There was obvious uneasiness in her tone. He asked, "Are you alright?"

"_I- um-I-I have to go, John. My plane's about to leave."_

"What do you mean?" John asked, suddenly feeling alerted.

"_I have to board now. I'm sorry. I-I couldn't find the right time and way to tell you this. But I'm going home. It's a long story and I really don't have time to explain everything."_

Words got stuck in John's throat and his eyes were panic-struck. He felt his heart drop to his stomach and his whole body turned cold.

"_I'm really sorry, John. I hope things will go okay for you. Thanks for everything. I really appreciated it. You were a great friend." _

He continued to listen to her ramble. He could tell she was trying to cram all her thoughts of him in, in one damn phone call, but he just wasn't satisfied with that. He didn't want a thank you. He didn't want a good-bye. He didn't want the praise. He didn't want the acknowledgement. He wanted her. He wanted to talk to her; not over the phone or for just a few minutes. He wanted to go back in his rental car and talk to her for hours. If only he had known she'd eventually have to leave him, he would've stayed in that car and talked to her until there was nothing left to talk about. Even then, he would've spent the rest of his time complaining about having nothing to talk about. But that was fine. At least he was talking to her. That's all he wanted.

"_John, are you there?"_

"Rox," he said plainly. Everything in his vocabulary went out and all he could think of was uttering her name.

"_I'm really sorry we have to leave it like this. There was just no other way I could properly tell you. You have to know though, I'm really thankful for the little time I had with you. I swear, I'm gonna sound real cheesy, but John, I'll never forget a second of it."_

Knowing those feelings were mutual put him at ease. However, the reality settled back in and John sighed. He realized he'd have all the time to sulk but only a few seconds to say a few more things to her. So he spoke, "I wont ever forget them either, Rox."

"_Well, they're calling me to board the plane. I have to go now. Please relax and don't stress about the little things. Take care, John."_

"You too, Rox, you too."

Within seconds, the line disconnected. John kept the phone to his ear for a while before finally letting go. He sat in disbelief. He wasn't sure what was more unbelievable: her suddenly having to leave without an explanation or the discomfort he felt because of it. He couldn't understand his emotions and for a second, he desperately tried to analyze. He couldn't but he knew better to just let himself be.

Not even after a minute, his wife reappeared in sight and he couldn't be happier to see her. She was the answer. Distraction was the answer.

"You ready to go?" she asked him.

Nodding, John grabbed their things and walked hand in hand with his wife.

* * *

"The last few days flew by real fast," Liz said. "I cant believe you're going to another city tomorrow and I'm going home."

John chuckled at her comment. They were in their own booth, at a bar, with the rest of the raw roster in surrounding tables. Although they were a bit ostracized from the everyone, John was thankful his wife allowed them to come there in the first place.

"I'm gonna go to the restroom," Liz excused herself shortly.

John nodded and quickly used the time to say hello to a few friends. He went from table to table until one in particular caught his eye. It included Miz with a several girls around him.

"John!" he heard someone call from the next table. He adjusted his sight to wherever he heard the voice and caught sight of Eve. She was signaling him to come over.

"Have you gotten the chance to give Roxanne her necklace?" she asked.

"Shit," John muttered. He had completely forgotten about it. "Nah. I didn't realize she was getting on different plane when you said she hadda catch _her_ flight."

"It's okay. Just give it to Miz and he'll give it to her."

John squinted. The mention of his name left a sour taste in his mouth. "Miz?"

"Yeah," she nodded.

He took a second to look at him and regretted what he saw. The man was three-way kissing with two of his groupies.

"Mizzzzzzz!" one of the divas exclaimed. "Stop that, you have a girlfriend!"

"Don't worry, I sent her home, remember? I got this under control. She's convinced everything's okay between us now. Fixed! Perfect! Awesome! She'll never know," he broadcasted loudly, a smirk plastered across his face. He was obviously intoxicated but who knew if that made a difference.

John felt his body get hot. This feeling was even worse than when he found out Roxanne was going home. He hadn't given her much thought since she left; it pained him too much. He'd desperately been trying to repress thoughts of her, and for the most part, he'd been successful. Though, hearing this didn't help at all. In fact, it made things worse. John couldn't help but find himself regressed in old worries. Miz didn't deserve Roxanne in his life.

John subconsciously made a fist. If nothing stopped him in the next few seconds, an attack would've happened but luckily, Liz returned and said, "I'm hungry."

"Let's get outta here," John ordered, his face scrunched up with anger. He led his wife out of the bar and she easily followed without question.

"So where are we eating?" she asked, as they got into the car. Apparently, she was oblivious of her husband's stress.

"Where do you wanna go?" he asked monotonously.

"Ihop," she answered plainly.

John nodded and didn't say a word. They drove in silence for the next few minutes while he used up the time to think. He needed to do something about this. He _had _to. The guilt of simply letting Roxanne just leave was setting in. Why hadn't he tried contacting her after she left? He'd spent a good amount of days trying to build their friendship and distance shouldn't have thrown all that away.

After all, John refused to have expiration dates when it came to friendships.

* * *

"I need you to get me something," John stated firmly.

Eve, who had just opened her door, failed to speak right away. She was a bit taken back by his domineer but it didn't stop her from laughing. "What is it John?"

"Can you get me Roxanne's home address?"

"Oh, alright. I'll text her and forward it to you," Eve said.

"Thanks."

"No problem," she shrugged. "Are you gonna mail her the necklace or something?"

"Yeah," John lied.

"Yeah, I wouldn't have trusted my plan to give it to Miz either," Eve confessed.

_Yeah and I wouldn't trust the post office to give it to Roxanne either. I'll do it myself, _John thought_. _

**

* * *

Author's Notes: **More of John and Roxanne in the next chapter! Oh and Miz, hehe. I hope you all enjoyed this update, as well as this holiday season. And of course, reviews are always greatly appreciated.

_December 26, 2010._


	6. House Visit

**Chapter 6  
Disclaimer: **I don't own anyone from the WWE.

**Thanks:** Felonxoxo, Lauren, Animal-Viper-Cena Fan, and Cena's baby doll for the reviews :)

* * *

Roxanne hugged her knees closely as the lights from the television bounced off her face. It was awfully chilly in her living room but she was lucky to have high tolerance when it came to being cold. She watched closely and laughed lightly as the late-night comedy show progressed.

An interruption came when she heard the doorbell.

"Who the fuck?" she whispered, curiously looking at the closed front door. She diverted by stealing a quick glance at the clock which read, '3:20'.

She heard another ring and she immediately got up. Slowly walking towards the window, she peered through it but all she saw was the shoulder of a broad man. She struggled to get the full view since he seemed to be leaning against the door frame. She diligently eyed the knob before taking the action to unlock and turn it. She guarded herself with the door as she slowly pulled it towards her. Peeking through the open space, she saw John.

"McDonalds is the shit after three AM, right?"

Roxanne's mouth dropped as she allowed her door to fully open. She watched as the smile on John's face grew. He was holding a McDonalds paper bag in one hand and a sundae in another.

"I remember you telling me that," he added. "And I know I didn't wake you up. You always have to catch your Fresh Prince reruns before you go to sleep right?"

"You're-" Roxanne started to say before she realized there was something better for her to do than speak. She closed her mouth and immediately brought herself into his arms. He gladly reciprocated by hugging her tightly. The two completely immersed themselves into the embrace. It was the best thing they never knew they needed. Kind of like each other.

John made sure to kiss her forehead slowly before he pulled away to see her whole face. She appeared weakened by this but was quick to recuperate. She beamed. And he did too.

"You should come in," she suggested. As soon as he followed directions, she closed the door behind him. "What are you doing here, John?"

He chuckled. "Well, I got hungry and it was late at night. I remembered what you said so I decided, what the hell, lemme feed the both of us. Your favorite meal's the forbidden type right, the ones after midnight? I thought it'd be my pleasure to spoil you."

"You're absolutely crazy. Ridiculous," she said softly, shaking her head. The smile on her face hadn't disappeared.

"That makes the two of us," John commented. "But nah, seriously, I had a redeye and I decided to just go straight to my destination. But of course, I had to stop by for food."

"My house was your destination?"

John chuckled. "Well, yeah. You left so suddenly, I had to pay you a visit. Come on now, Rox. I told you, you're my friend and I couldn't just let you leave my life like that."

Roxanne felt her cheeks turn red but she didn't care. "My life," she mocked. "That sounds so dramatic."

"Why, you don't think that was dramatic for me? Do you know how heartbroken I was when I found out you were leaving?" he played along. Although, he realized he actually was telling the truth, just with a dramatic purpose.

Roxanne laughed. She didn't say a word but instead, snatched the paper bag from John and walked towards the kitchen. John followed slowly as he looked around her place. It was small but definitely well designed. He could tell she spent a lot of time picking colors, accessories, and furniture.

"You got a nice place here," he complimented.

"Thanks. That'll be $500 a night," she teased.

"What? I didn't know this was a prostitute pad."

"Excuse me? What makes you think _that's_ what you're paying for? Please! I wouldn't even go there if you paid me 500 million," she returned.

John laughed. He loved having no limit when it came to joking around with her. No matter how out of line his jokes got, it never mattered. She'd give it right back and almost always, it was even better.

"Well, what makes you think I'd actually stay the whole night here?" he asked her.

She shot him a look before she said, "Because I'm here."

Nodding, John grabbed a couple of fries and popped them into his mouth. "Exactly."

A more serious atmosphere suddenly filled the room and it made Roxanne feel the need to clear her throat. She didn't want the growing silence to get awkward.

"Why was it so sudden?" John asked. The both of them knew exactly what he was talking about and it prolonged the silence.

"I mean, you were gone not even 24 hours after we last talked," he added.

"Stuff happened after that and I just didn't have time to update you," she reasoned. "I mean, I tried but it just couldn't go through. I tried calling you so we can meet in person but-"

"Liz was with me."

"I know."

"But I'm here now," John reminded her. "So, are you gonna tell me what's been going on?"

Roxanne looked into the paper bag and grabbed a burger. She carefully unwrapped it then took a bite. She looked up at John as she chewed.

He'd been carefully watching her actions and finally realized he wasn't going to get an answer. "Alright, I'm guessing you don't wanna talk about it right now."

She shook her head. "Not really. We'll save the serious yet irrelevant stuff for later. How long are you staying?"

"Well, first of all, what's going on with you is never irrelevant to me. And second of all, I have a flight to catch at noon for my next house show."

"Wait a minute. You were supposed to catch a flight to the next city but you decided to come here instead?"

"Yeah. The whole roster should be checked into the hotel by now," John informed.

"And you have a house show in less than 24 hours?"

"Yup."

"And you still have to fly there after you leave here?"

"Yup."

Shaking her head, Roxanne took another bite of her burger. She gazed at John with disappointment.

"What?" he asked.

"You're crazy."

"Don't worry, you can be crazy with me," he said, before grabbing the paper bag and her hand. He led the both of them back into the living room where they settled comfortably on the couch. "We have about…seven hours to talk until I have to leave."

* * *

"Rox."

John lightly shook the sleeping beauty beside him. She'd been resting her cheek against his arm for the past few hours and he figured it was time to wake her up.

"Rox," he repeated.

"Mm?" she moaned. Her lips made a pout and her eyebrows furrowed. Though, she kept her eyes closed.

"I have to leave within an hour," John stated.

Roxanne encircled her arm around his and buried her face closer to him. Silence took over for a few seconds before she finally spoke, "Mm, John. I'm sorry."

"For?"

"Falling asleep on you. Figuratively and literally," she reasoned.

"It's okay. You look cute when you sleep anyway."

"But you came all the way here to talk to me, not watch me sleep."

John laughed. The voice of serenity quickly filled the room, "Rox, don't worry about it. I've been here with you. That's all that matters."

She cleared her throat then questioned, "I suppose you want me to finally tell you what happened…or, is happening?"

Relieved, John nodded. He was glad she brought it up herself. He'd asked about it enough.

She released herself from him while running a hand through her hair. She cleared her throat again. "Well…Miz talked to me and apologized for everything he's done. He suggested we spend time away from each other so he can fix himself."

John was afraid she would say that. He, on the other hand, didn't know what to say.

Luckily, Roxanne wasn't finished. "So, I went home. Not because I'm stupidly hoping he's gonna change. I left because I wanted time away from him. I need time away from him. Call me a coward for not being able to completely break it off but I found doing this as an easy alternative."

"I'm not sure if I understand what you're tryna do though. Where do you stand with this man?"

"I don't know."

Her answer wasn't good enough for him.

"He physically abused you over and over and over again. Then I find out he's emotionally abusing you too? What's could possibly be keeping you around?"

"Our past," she answered quickly. "John, I was with the man even before he got into wrestling. I was with him even before he got into MTV. He was a good boyfriend far longer than he was a bad one. I understand how people could easily say I shouldn't be with him. I mean, I can't blame them for saying that since all they see are the bruises he left me and the pain. But, to be honest, that's only from an outsider's perspective."

John sighed. He was desperate to try and understand her but the things Miz had done and was continuing to do was unacceptable. People change and Miz obviously had. John couldn't fathom the discrepancy she had between right and wrong. There was a line and it didn't seem as if she knew it's existence.

"But I'm not saying I'm gonna stay with him forever. I may not even be with him tomorrow, next week, or next month. I'm home to try and build myself. If Miz doesn't fit into that, then I'll make it official."

Half-satisfied, John began to nod. He wasn't sure how to respond to this either. But he had to ask, "How are you gonna know when to let him go?"

"I-I'm still trying to figure that out."

"When will you realize he isn't good for you anymore?"

"I-I don't know."

There was trouble in her voice and it only quickened John's frustration. Miz didn't deserve Roxanne and Roxanne didn't deserve Miz. It had become John's mission to make sure it gets fixed. And fast.

"He's cheating on you," John blurted out. "I-I saw him making out with a bunch of girls at the club. Rox, he obviously doesn't care about you at all."

The look on Roxanne's face only quickened his regret. He'd been so busy trying to rip apart Miz that he forgot to take her feelings into consideration.

"I'm sorry, Rox," he apologized. He wasn't sure if he was more sorry about Miz or for being the barrier of bad news. She didn't say a word and so he wrapped his arms around her tightly.

"You know, I'm not even surprised. If anything, I expected that," she whispered. "But I-I still don't know."

"Don't know what? What do you still need to know, Rox?" he asked angrily. All along, he'd been trying to sound calm and understanding. He couldn't keep up with it now, not with this injustice. For once, John didn't care if she heard his frustration. She needed to get his point.

"Who cares, John. I. Don't. Know," she stated indignantly, pulling away from him. "If I'm not supposed to be with Miz, I'll figure that out eventually. You don't need to be frustrated with me or... rushing me just because I'm taking my 'precious' time. If I end up wasting my time, well, that's my fault. Everything he's doing, I do deserve it. Do you know why? Because I choose to put myself through it. It's fine. I don't mind fucking up. I don't mind making mistakes. I'll learn. I will. I promise."

She looked over at John who seemed to still be processing the things she just said. She watched as he swallowed a huge lump in his throat.

"Look, I never asked you to be here John. If my situation with Miz frustrates you, you have every right to leave. It's fine. I told you, I deserve it."

Pain clearly present in his face, John could only shake his head.

Roxanne leaned against the couch and allowed her body to sink deeper into the seat. "Your flight's at noon, right? It's almost eleven, John. You should go."

As much as he wanted to stay, he knew her orders were inevitable. He quickly made a mental agreement, thinking it'd be easier to leave at an impulse. He knew if he stayed to think about it, leaving would've been more difficult.

"I'll be back after the house show," he said seriously.

"John, no," she resisted.

"Yes, Rox. We're not done talking about this yet," he said before making his sudden exit.

It was quick, but definitely not painless. The both of them were suddenly left in great suspense.

* * *

Tired and without sleep, John inched himself closer towards the front door. He had just finished a house show and had gotten off another redeye flight. The whole day seemed like an endless marathon to him but he was glad to finally be back. He needed his relaxation. He needed Roxanne.

He rang the doorbell once, twice, and a few more times. He looked into the window and saw some lights flickering from the kitchen. He grabbed his phone and tried calling her but received no reply. He sighed.

"Roxanne!" he called out. He banged his fist against the door out of desperation but he knew it made no difference. He sighed while allowing his hand to fall to the knob. He tried turning it, thinking it'd be locked, but it wasn't. He turned the knob completely and was inside the house within a second. Worry suddenly crept in and he wondered if something had happened. Especially now, since the door had been unlocked for God knows how long.

"Roxanne!" he called out again. He ran into the kitchen and saw her passed out. She was sitting on a stool with her head down on the table. Her arm was sprawled across it with a near-empty bottle of Hennessy in hand.

John immediately shook her, hoping it wouldn't take long for her to gain consciousness. "Rox, come on, wake up." He continued shaking her and when she didn't respond, he ran into the bathroom for a towel and soaked it with cold water. He ran back to her and placed the cloth over her forehead. He then continued shaking her.

Then finally, he received a response. Her eyes fluttered open.

"Damn, Rox. You had me worried like a little bitch," John commented. "I thought you had alcohol poisoning."

She groaned as she tried to sit up.

"How much did you drink?" John asked as he grabbed the bottle for examination.

"I don't even know," she answered lethargically. "That was Miz's bottle and I just downed what was left, this morning."

"Rox, you could've killed yourself."

"But I didn't. I didn't, alright?" Roxanne made a fist and slammed it hard against John's chest. She obviously had built up aggravation and the alcohol failed to pacify every bit of it. She released herself from the seat and attempted walking away. Her legs wobbled and she immediately fell to the ground.

"Rox," John called out. He made one swift movement and placed her into his arms. He didn't know which door led to her bedroom so he settled with placing her on the couch. He took a seat on the end, while pacing her legs over his lap. He looked over at her and saw she was still conscious.

"I broke up with him," she whispered. "After you left, I called him. I yelled at him. I told him he didn't deserve me. And you know what he did? He laughed and thanked me. He said he was glad he didn't have to do any petty work anymore."

John watched as the destruction in her face continued to build.

"Is that what I am to everyone? Petty work?" she asked then she started laughing. "Petty, petty work. People have fun feeling sorry for me don't they? Don't you, John?"

"Rox, stop," he pleaded. The look in her eyes were mirrored into his and everything she said broke his heart. "It's not like that at all."

"Oh, don't be so silly." She sat up but kept her legs on top of him. "Don't be like Miz, John. Don't feel like you can do whatever you want with me just because you think you're doing me a favor. Okay?"

"I told you, it's not like that at all, Rox. Stop," he ordered. "It'd be best if you just go to sleep."

Not saying a word, Roxanne got up and shuffled her feet into her room. John let out a long sigh and followed her.

"Go away," she whined as she got on top of her bed.

"I just wanna make sure you'll be okay for tonight. Sleep on your side," he said as he grabbed all her pillows and piled them right next to her.

"Stop, John! What are you doing?" she groaned, while trying to undo the pile he had made.

"I'm trying to build something for one of your sides to rest on. You can't lay flat on your back, you might throw up in the middle of the night and choke on your vomit," he explained while putting the pillows back into a pile.

"Oh yeah? Well what if I fall off my bed, huh, John? What if, what if, I end up not being okay even if I slept on my side? What if I'll still be miserable?" she questioned. She grabbed the pillows John had just piled and threw them each on the ground. Obviously, all the alcohol hadn't left her system.

"Rox, please, stop. Just relax. I'm here, alright?" John placed himself on the empty side of the bed and wrapped his arms around her. "Just go to sleep right now. You've had enough for today."

She muffled against the cotton of his shirt but didn't resist his orders. He gently began massaging her scalp and within minutes, she was fast asleep.

* * *

John woke up, feeling fingertips lightly tracing the veins on his arms. He stayed still, not wanting Roxanne to know he had woken up yet. He waited for a few minutes before he asked, "How long have you been awake?"

She deliberately looked at him as she stopped her fingers from trailing on him any further.

"For about an hour," she answered plainly. "You had your arm around me, and I knew you were a light sleeper so I stayed still."

"You shouldn't have worried about my sleep, Rox."

She shrugged. "It's okay, I was comfortable anyway."

"I'm not too big and buff for you?" he asked.

She laughed lightly, not knowing if it was a serious question. But she answered anyway, "Not at all."

"Alright," John smiled, completely content with her answer.

"And I was thinking, while you slept," she storied. "I'm really sorry for last night. I was destructive to myself and to you. I remember everything… unfortunately. But I really am sorry. It got too dramatic."

"Don't even worry about it," he assured her. "You hadda do what you hadda, right? I was just there to make sure you'd be okay at the end of it all."

"And I am," she smiled shyly. "Thanks to you."

The two were smiling at each other when a door bell rang and interrupted. Roxanne shot John a curious look right before she got up and said, "Stay here. I'ma see who it is."

John nodded as he watched her walk away.

Roxanne walked quickly towards the front door and peered through the window. "Oh you have got to be fucking kidding me," she muttered. "Shit."

She walked herself back into the room and looked at John as if she'd just seen a ghost.

"Who is it?" he asked, getting up from the bed. The doorbell rang three more times continuously before they heard the front door open.

"Fuck," Roxanne cursed. "He has a damn key."

"Is it Miz?"

"Yeah," she groaned. "Just-just hide in the closet over there incase he comes in here."

John nodded slowly. He listened to the footsteps as they began to grow louder.

Roxanne added, "Make sure he doesn't see you, no matter what."

John reluctantly followed orders as Roxanne braced herself to come face to face with her now, ex-boyfriend.

* * *

**Author's Note: **I wanted to start this year off with an update, so here you go! Reviews? :)

_HAPPY NEW YEARS! 2011!_


	7. Perfect Timing

**Chapter 7**  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own anyone from the WWE.

**Thanks:** bathpinkdog, animal-viper-cena fan, lauren and cena's baby doll for the reviews!

* * *

"Why didn't you answer the front door?" Miz asked, as soon as Roxanne opened her bedroom door. "I wanted to see the look on your face when you saw me outside. I guess I hadda wait until I got inside, huh?"

Disgust was clearly present in Roxanne's face and she didn't bother masking it in her voice. "What do you want, Miz?"

"Oh, just some of my stuff back," he answered with a smile. He walked into the room and slowly scanned the place. "Huh. I remember the last time I was on that bed. Do you?"

Looking at the object of topic, she rolled her eyes. The nervousness she consumed, knowing that John was secretly in the closet, became an under layer to her irritation.

"Want me to remind you?" he asked, slowly closing the space between them.

Roxanne backed up until she hit the wall. Suddenly, she was sandwiched between it and her ex-boyfriend. Her creepy ex-boyfriend. He placed one hand against the wall then lowered his face to level their eyes. Her grabbed the side of her face and crashed his lips against hers.

Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw the closet door become ajar and her heart started beating out of her chest. She muffled through the pair of lips on her, hoping it'd mask the noise the door had made. She would've rather gotten raped and beaten, one more time, than for Miz to catch John in her house. John's reputation would've been endangered and she wouldn't have been able to cope with that.

John peaked through the crevice he had made and watched as Miz kissed Roxanne. It was like watching a car accident: he didn't want to watch but he couldn't look away. He got every urge to bolt out of the closet but knew better not to. He opened the door to a slight, just to keep sight on what's going on.

Miz pulled away from the kiss, only to turn his attention to undressing her. He tugged on her shirt and ripped it off in one swift motion. He then used both of his hands to pull down her jeans. Satisfied, Miz threw her onto the bed and went right on top of her. He took off his shirt and started unbuckling his belt. As soon as he reached his zipper, he stopped to look at Roxanne.

He started laughing.

"Ugly bitch," he tormented. "Do you actually think I'm gonna go inside you _again_? I don't even know how I managed to do that in the past. I guess I was right, _it was just the alcohol_."

He continued laughing as he got off the bed and grabbed his shirt.

"I'm not your boyfriend anymore, Roxanne," he stopped to put on his shirt. "I'm sorry I can't keep doing you those favors."

She watched as he walked over towards nightstand and grabbed their box of condoms. "I'm gonna need these."

Horrified, Roxanne frantically grabbed the blankets on the bed and placed it over her body. Miz returned and grabbed her hair, instantly pulling her back.

"I'm awesome," he whispered into her ear. "Remember that."

He then released his hand and threw her forward. As soon as her face met the bed, tears started trickling down her face and the sheets were quickly soaked. Her sobs muffled through well enough that it allowed her and John to hear Miz leave the house.

As soon as the coast was clear, John bolted out of the closet and ran aid to Roxanne. He sat on the bed and started rocking her back and forth. He couldn't believe how Miz excelled in outdoing himself every single time. This poor girl had been a victim and it horrified him to see it first hand. How sick did a person need to be to do such a thing? Miz literally took a flight just to make a female cry. John couldn't seem to fathom what satisfaction that man was trying to get.

But that didn't matter anymore. He was gone and John was going to make sure it stayed that way.

"Just cry it all out," he advised to Roxanne. He ran his hand up and down her back hoping it'd reach some success in placating her.

As soon as her cries calmed down, John got up and went back into the closet. There, he grabbed a new shirt and some sweatpants.

"Here, put this on," he ordered, handing each clothing item to her.

She obeyed, defeat clearly present in her eyes.

* * *

"Thank you, thank you, thank you so freakin much," Roxanne squealed.

John looked at her with a smile forming his lips. It was now ten o'clock at night and the woman in front of him was definitely different than the woman in front of him this morning.

"No, John, I'm serious," she continued. "I wouldn't have been able to change all my locks without you."

"Well then, I should be thanking you," he sated. "For letting me help you. At least now I'll be assured you're safe."

"It's not just that, John. I'm thanking you for being a great friend, too."

He shook his head, seeing no reason for the excessive praise. "Rox, I don't know if I can take hearing another 'thank you'. I've gotten, literally, over one hundred in the past 12 hours."

"I mean it, though," she expressed. "I really do. If it wasn't for you, I'd still be crying. Or probably dead from alcohol poisoning…or my vomit. But look at me now, I'm well recovered."

"I see that," John nodded with a grin.

"And it's because of you," she repeated. "Thank you."

"Alright, alright, you're welcome. You are very welcome. You are absolutely welcome! Now, can you stop saying that please?" John begged. "Putting me in a pedestal isn't very comfortable."

"Fine, fine, fine," she gave in.

John's ring tone suddenly filled the room and his caller ID indicated Liz was calling. As soon as John picked it up, Roxanne smiled and excused herself from the room. She wanted to give him privacy. And for some reason, leaving felt like giving herself sanity, as well.

* * *

"Yet another flight," John sighed as he zipped up his last duffle bag. "I've said bye to you far too many times, Rox."

She walked closer towards him and laughed. They were placed in her living room, right beside the foyer. She said, "Actually, that's not true. If you haven't noticed, we never literally say bye to each other."

"I know," John nodded. "But we've had to separate a lot."

She shrugged. "What do you expect? You're John Cena."

"Yeah, yeah. It has it's perks," he shrugged right before pulling her into a hug. They did this contently for the next few seconds until Roxanne decided to tighten her grip. John smiled.

"John?" she muffled through his shirt.

"Mm?"

"What are we doing?" she asked.

John let go of their embrace and placed both hands on her shoulders. He looked her in the eye and asked, "What do you mean?"

"This," she said, placing both her hands over his. She pulled his touch away then crossed her arms as she backed up. "This, John, this right here. Us."

He tried to laugh but learned it didn't do much to suit the atmosphere. He desperately tried to read her eyes, knowing it'd tell way more than her words. All he got was a look of total confusion.

"I thought we already talked about this?" he asked, hoping to keep composure.

"You keep insisting we're not doing anything wrong."

"We're not."

"John, we are. You shouldn't have to do all this behind your wife's back. If we _really_ weren't doing anything wrong, she would know _every single _thing that's been going on with you. _She _would know everything _I_ know."

John sighed. "Have you ever felt right about doing the wrong thing?"

She didn't answer. Instead, she looked deeper into his eyes and listened to what else he had to say.

"Weren't you the one who told me you weren't scared to fuck up? To make mistakes? To learn from them? Rox, you gave me that same strength. To me, selfishly, we don't feel wrong at all. Now, with my wife involved, that's a different story. But like I told you before, I don't really care. I'm not wrong for wanting a friendship."

Taking a second to absorb John's thoughts into hers, Roxanne said, "As long as you're happy, John."

"I am," he said definitively. "This is the happiest I've been in a really long time."

"Then that's all that matters," she stated.

* * *

Distance was an enemy and time was no friend. Roxanne and John were thousands of miles apart but it didn't stop them from coming to that mutual agreement. Their monotonous routines helped the next few days pass but it also made the slow progression in time as an epitome of being frozen. They dreaded each and every minute that came; every tick felt like a damn marathon.

"Fuck," John cursed. He was continuously throwing his phone up in the air as he sat in his locker room. He had just finished a match and was now left with all the time to think. Time he would've rather spent doing something else or better yet, being somewhere else.

He let out a small grunt as he missed a catch and watched his phone tumble to the floor. He stared at it for awhile. He didn't see a reason to pick it up. A few minutes passed until finally, the screen emitted light. He got up and saw he received a text message.

_I miss you_, he read. This simple showcase of affection made him smile. He was desperate for any form of attention.

_I miss you too baby_, he typed. He figured he'd might as well exceed the amount of characters he was allowed to text. He had all the time in the world, anyway. _I'm coming home sometime this week. I'll be expecting my favorite meal when I do. Of course, topped off with dessert. You know, the messy kind. My favorite kind. Ha. I hope you're doing well. I've been bored the fuck out of my mind these past few days. I don't know. It seems harder for me to cope with being away right now. It's harder than usual. Well, this isn't helping. I think I'm gonna go work out. I love you._

He sighed before sending the reply to Liz. He watched as the message processed through and once it did, he went back into his inbox to double check he hadn't missed anything. He hadn't. Although, he wished he had. He sent a message to Roxanne in the morning but since failed to receive a reply.

* * *

_I'm sorry I haven't been replying to your text messages, John. I've been busy trying to look for a new job and top that off, my phone's been acting up. I haven't been receiving messages on time and I'm sure of that because I've gotten your good morning greetings around six in the evening, eight was the latest. I hope work's been treating you well. I'll talk to you soon. I miss you. _

John read over the Roxanne's text a few more times as we waited at the luggage claim. Just as he was about to respond, he was interrupted by a swarm of fans.

_Perfect timing_, he thought sarcastically. With a genuine smile, he proceeded with the next half hour with his fans. As soon as that was done, he got his luggage and went straight to the car. Suddenly, he got tunnel vision and all he wanted was to get home. Roxanne's message got shoved into the back of his mind and it stayed there for the next hours that came.

"I'm glad I don't have to sleep alone on our bed tonight," Liz commented.

"Who said we were sleeping tonight?" John smirked. He scooted towards her, ready to show exactly what he meant, but his actions were quickly halted. She shielded herself from him with her forearms, seeming not the least bit apologetic.

John held his stare at this woman he called his wife and the questions, he'd been trying to delay to find an answer to, came right back. What had they become? Was marriage supposed to feel this dry? Or had he been blind all this time?

He sighed as he returned to his own half of the bed. Quietly, he tried his best to work up the resentment he felt from the situation that marinated on itself. Somehow, any thought that came to mind couldn't seem to pacify any that's been left lingering for sometime.

"I'm really tired, John. I had a long day. I had so much people asking for my help and it was mess," Liz rambled. "Maybe tomorrow."

John cleared his throat, feeling as if her words were now unnecessary. If she was trying to make him feel better, it didn't work. If she was trying to make excuses for herself, it didn't work. John was beginning to realize that anything, either of them did, in their marriage didn't work.

* * *

"Roxy!" Eve squealed as she ran towards her friend. She subliminally misjudged her power, as she sent the both of them crashing to the ground.

"Ow!" Roxanne cringed. "Damn and I thought I was done with the abuse."

Laughing, Eve got up and lent a hand to her. "I'm sorry, I got excited. You didn't tell me you were visiting this soon."

Roxanne shrugged with a smile. "I wanted to surprise everyone."

"Everyone, huh?" Eve nudged her friend. "So I'm not the only one you came for? Who is this 'everyone_' _then?"

Roxanne shot her friend a look. "Everyone as in _everyone_."

"Sure. I know you better than you think," she stated, mischievously

"Anyways, what's everyone doing tonight?"

"Nothing really. A couple people went home to their wives, like John and Randy. Everyone else is here but they're probably doing their own thing."

Roxanne didn't hear a word after John. He had gone home to his wife? _Perfect timing_, she thought sarcastically.

"But don't worry," Eve added. "Me and you can have a girls night out, tonight. How long are you staying?"

"It doesn't matter. Whenever I get a call for a job interview I guess," Roxanne shrugged, suddenly feeling uninterested.

She refused to admit it but John was who she came there for. In the back of her mind, she was hoping to surprise him so, somehow, they could feel happy again. She wanted that happiness that seemed to emit only when they were together. Hearing he had left to be his wife tore her apart. In one aspect, she was happy. She, of all people, knew he needed that time to facilitate recovery in their marriage. She'd heard about the driftage that had developed between the couple and she knew, very well, time together would've been their medication. At another glance, perhaps are more selfish one, it crushed her. She was fully able to make him happy, make him feel satisfied, and provide for him everything he needed. She wouldn't admit that but it was true and Liz wouldn't have been able to say the same.

Feeling enslaved in her thoughts, Roxanne sighed. It wasn't about her. It wasn't about Liz. It was about John and she knew he needed time to discover his right path. It wasn't up to her how he'd achieve happiness and although she'd been a tool of help, she was still only a friend.

"Rox, are you there?" Eve called out. She'd been calling her name numerous times but failed to receive a response. She shook her friend.

"What?" Roxanne snapped.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I am. I'm sorry. I just dozed off," Roxanne apologized. Desperate to shake her intrusive thoughts, she asked, "So, what do you wanna do tonight?"

"Well, I need help spicing things up. I feel like my relationship with Cody needs to be taken to the next level," Eve ranted. "We've been going out for two years and I don't see myself as just a girlfriend anymore. I can see myself with this man for the rest of my life and I want him to know that."

Smiling, Roxanne began to nod. It refreshed her to hear about love that seemed harmless.

* * *

Although history wouldn't have proved it, judging from her list of ex-boyfriends, Roxanne had impeccable taste. She knew her stuff well and the fact that she was unaware of possessing such an admirable quality made it even better. She stayed humble through all ends, and this time was no exception.

Roxanne had spent all of last night helping Eve with progressing her relationship with Cody. It seemed to work because the couple had been off doing who-knows-what, while Roxanne was left all alone in the hotel. It humored her, in the slightest sense, that she managed to feel alone in a place infested with people. But that was fine. Solitary confinement was no new condition for her and she didn't mind sacrificing company, for the sake of her friend's relationship. At least something good was happening to someone, she figured.

She finally decided on grabbing a quick snack. Eating alone didn't seem to bother her; running into Miz on the way would've been the ultimate problem. She felt her heart beat with every step she took and just as she thought she was safe, from finally making it out of the hotel, she felt a hand grab her shoulder.

Roxanne could've sworn she jumped out of her skin. Goosebumps trailed her arm right as she turned to face her spectator.

"Fuck, you scared the crap out of me!" she fused.

Laughing, John immediately wrapped both of his arms around her. "I'd say sorry but you look cute when you're scared."

"Ugh," she groaned, slamming her fist against his chest. She built space between them, allowing him to see the frown on her face. However, it was soon replaced by a smile as John lowered his face to grin at hers.

"I don't even get a 'Hi John, I missed you'?"

"Why would I lie?" she questioned, crossing her arms.

"Ouch."

"What are you doing here anyways? I thought you went home."

"I did and now I'm back," he answered simply. It was obvious he didn't want to further elaborate but Roxanne wanted the details. He owed her that much after nearly sending her into a tragic heart attack and so, against his will, he continued. "I thought it'd be good to go home but I found it made shit worse. So…I flew back here. Besides, I have a show tomorrow and I wanted to settle into the hotel sooner. Hearing you were here...well, that only rushed my excitement."

Roxanne raised her eyebrows. "You heard I was here?"

"Yeah, Eve called me," he shrugged. His eyes lingered along the most beautiful creation he'd ever seen in his life. It left him a trance and he couldn't believe how even more beautiful she looked since the last time he saw her. That just didn't seem possible, but she made it possible. Hell, she made a lot of things possible.

"Eve called you?" Roxanne repeated.

"Yeah," John answered simply. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw a pack of girls making their way to the entrance of the hotel. Judging from their skimpy outfits, he knew all too well who those girls belonged to. And it wasn't someone he wanted him or Roxanne to see. "Listen, let's get out of here. You were heading out, right?"

"Yeah but who said you could join me?"

"No one did, I never even mentioned _joining you_, I just said let's get out of here."

"Alright then."

"Alright then."

Watching as she turned her heel, John formed a smile. He allowed her to get further away, in order to build the anticipation, before he ran after her. "Hey, wait."

She turned her head and asked, "What do you want?"

"To join you."

"I guess, I guess. Might as well do charity work," she smiled, before taking her arm and linking it around his.

* * *

"John, we've spent the last three hours together already."

"So? You act like that's enough. Come on, admit it, your day got a whole lot better when you saw me."

"Please. When I saw you, I was left with stories, after stories, after stories."

"Are you saying some of my stories were boring?"

"Oh, don't underestimate yourself John, a lot of your stories were boring."

Shaking his head, John threw an arm over her shoulders and forced her further into his hotel room. They had just gotten back from a 'quick' snack and John invited her over for the rest of the night. He knew after seeing her, he wouldn't have been able to sleep if she left his sight.

"Hey, your hotel room is so much nicer than-" Roxanne began to say, until there was a knock at the door.

The duo looked at each other, feeling frozen as they did.

"I'll um- I'll get that. Just sit somewhere you're not visible," John ordered. He watched as she followed directions before walking over to the door and opening it.

"Was that my girl you were walking with?"

With a clenched jaw, John responded, "Miz, what the hell are you doing here?"

"I thought I told you to stay away from her."

"Stay away from who?" John asked. He knew he wasn't supposed to know they had broken up and so he went along with it.

"Roxanne. Is she in here? I could have sworn I saw her walk out of that elevator with you."

"Miz, your accusations are as crazy as you."

"No, no, they're not," he replied, before taking a step forward into the room. He was met by the force of John who immediately pushed him back.

"Get the fuck out of here. Do something better with your time, will you?"

"Alright, fine. You be careful John. I'm watching you," Miz warned, before taking a few steps back. He held his gaze at the other man before turning around and walking away. Along the way, he bumped into the wall and John couldn't help but laugh.

"That stupid son of a bitch," he continued to laugh as he slammed the door. He walked further into the room and saw Roxanne sitting on the bed. "I cant believe you managed to put up with that moron for all that time."

She shrugged. "You know, I don't either. Some people get blind when they're in relationships but I'm the unfortunate one who got into a comma."

John let out a small laugh. He loved the humor she pulled from every situation, it reminded him a lot of himself. He joined her on the bed and smiled. He studied her face and the skirmish that just happened suddenly became a distant memory. He had better things to think about now and she was right in front of him.

"So John, what are we gonna do for the rest of the night?"

"Anything," he shrugged. "It's the perfect timing to do absolutely anything."

* * *

**Author's Note: **Aw, Roxanne and John! I decided since the beginning of the chapter had so much drama, I'd end it on a mellow note. What do you guys think? I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as possible. It's finals week so please bare with me. I hope you guys enjoyed this one, have a great week :D

_January 9, 2011_


	8. Caught

**Chapter 8**  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own anyone from the WWE.

**Thanks:** PSNC100502, Cena's baby doll, Animal-Viper-Cena Fan, Felonxoxo, and Lauren for your reviews :) Enjoy!

* * *

"I'm not interested," Roxanne firmly stated.

"But you haven't even given him a chance," Eve said.

"I just got out of an abusive relationship, I think I needa give myself a chance. You know, to breathe, relax maybe?"

"It's obvious he's into you Roxy."

"But I'm not. John, can you please back me up?"

"Huh?" John spoke up with raised eye brows. If he was trying to hide his annoyance regarding the conversation, it worked. He looked at the two with a completely blank face, one that could easily be interpreted as lack of care. When in fact, he cared more than anyone engaged in the topic.

"I shouldn't put myself out there, right?" Roxanne asked him.

"Uhh… "

"But Ted's been interested in Roxy for a long time," Eve butted in. "Wouldn't it be nice for her to be treated with respect? Now that Miz is out of the picture, he can do that for her."

"It's a little too soon," Roxanne stated. "I needa build my own self-respect first."

Silence followed and everyone was left to simply look at each other.

John cleared his throat as he felt himself slouch into his seat. This was definitely not an ideal morning. He was sitting in the hotel café with Roxanne and Eve. That itself was fine, but this conversation threw things out of whack. He didn't like hearing all the girl talk and quite frankly, the idea of Roxanne with yet another man didn't suite him very well. Whatever respect Eve was trying to provide for Roxanne was something she already got. And it was from him.

"Fine," Eve gave in. "But keep him in mind alright?"

"I guess," Roxanne sighed.

"So, anyways," John cut in. "Should we get ready to for the show tonight?"

"Yeah. What will you be doing?" Eve asked the other female.

She shrugged. "Chill in my room until you guys are ready, I guess."

Nodding, Eve got up from the table and said good-bye, leaving John and Roxanne alone.

"You can do that in mine too," John spoke up.

Roxanne looked up at him and asked, "What are you talking about?"

"You can chill in my room while I get ready."

"You freak. Does having an audience while getting ready turn you on or something?"

"No, but you do," he blurted out. His remark took awhile to penetrate through but once it did, it left them at an awkward trance. One they've never been in before.

John tried to cope with the unfamiliarity by trying to recant. "I didn't- I wasn't- I um- I'm sorry."

Shaking her head, she smiled. "It's fine, John. Let's go?"

Left with an open mouth but no words to speak, all he could do was nod. He got up slowly, fully aware his cheeks had formed a rosy color. Never as a child did he wish to obtain the magic power of being invisible, but oh did he wish he had it, right now.

"Are you okay?" Roxanne asked. They already made it into the elevator and he still hadn't said a word.

He only nodded.

Her laughter filled the air, mixing with the tension John had built up. Roxanne slickly circled her arm around his, knowing it'd be the only way to ease the situation. Still, no words were said, as the both of them diligently eyed the elevator buttons. Once they reached their floor, they stepped out and she finally spoke up, "John, don't worry about what you said."

She still didn't get a reply and she waited until they got into his room before she spoke again, "If I somehow turn you on, well, I appreciate the honesty. You can't blame someone for how they feel, right? If it came out wrong and you didn't mean it, well, I accept mistakes. You can't blame someone for-"

"I did mean it," John finally spoke. She waited for him to add a connotation but he seemed serious. He really did mean it.

"But how does admitting that turn into tension? It shouldn't change anything, so why are you acting different all of a sudden?"

Admit. He heard it loud and clear but it hadn't processed in his mind completely. He knew the meaning of the word but he was still trying to make sense of it into their situation. Overwhelmed, John shook his head and took a step back from her. "I'm gonna take a shower, Rox."

Nodding, Roxanne crossed her arms and sat quietly on the bed. She stared at the wall for a few seconds before she heard the bathroom door close. Just as it did, she cursed, "Fuck."

The casualness she tried to play was gradually fading as she was allowed time to absorb what just happened. She wondered if this crossed the line, one they shouldn't have even gotten close to. Scared, she eyed the walkway towards the door. It presented itself nicely; the idea of walking out was tantalizing but she knew better. She knew if she left, it would've confirmed something was definitely wrong.

The minutes that passed seemed to go on longer than usual; anticipation built on itself higher and higher. Tapping her fingers against the bed sheets didn't help much and neither did pacing back and forth. Still, she kept herself moving in order to the counteract the speed her mind was going.

"Rox," John finally reappeared. "I'm sorry for how I acted earlier. It's just- I never said anything like that to anyone other than-" he paused, feeling trouble in finishing his sentence.

Roxanne picked it up from there. "I told you already, John, it's fine. Like I said, it shouldn't change anything."

John nodded, regressing into his lack of words.

"You have a wife," Roxanne added on what he was scared to mention. "That's more important than anything you'll ever say to me."

He nodded again, this time, with a more troubled face. It suddenly dawned on him how resistant he was to any reminder of his wife. He wasn't sure what actually troubled him: the reminder itself or the possible guilt with that reminder. Seeing Roxanne in front of him, who appeared to be walking closer, provided him the answer. The reminder of his wife was the trouble, not the guilt. He couldn't possibly feel remorse for something that wasn't there. The guilt wasn't there.

"Mind if I go to Eve's room? I wanna ask how Cody and her are doing," Roxanne asked him casually.

"Uh…yeah, why not," he found himself answering. Although, he knew he didn't mean a word of it. He wanted Roxanne to stay. He wanted Roxanne to talk to him. He wanted Roxanne to never go away.

Regardless, he stood lifelessly as he watched her inch closer to the door. Just as she reached the knob, she turned and walked back to him. She didn't say a word, but instead wrapped both her arms securely around his torso. She kept her hold for a few good seconds before she looked up at him and smiled. She brought her thumb to his cheek and massaged it for a second before she finally parted ways.

John let out a long sigh. He was left alone, and suddenly, his whole body turned cold.

* * *

John couldn't believe how walking alone suddenly felt impossible. Roxanne's company had brought life to him and he was beginning to realize her absence had now become the death of him. He walked into the arena by himself many, many times before, what's so different now? He couldn't understand.

_Why couldn't you just get a ride with me here?_ he thought selfishly. Roxanne had texted him, shortly after she left, saying she'd just meet him at the arena. He wasn't sure if she was truly busy with Eve or if she was simply trying to avoid him. Either way, she was doing a damn good job and there was nothing John could do about it. He sighed as he got into his locker room. The place felt emptier than usual.

A few minutes passed until a knock was made at the door. He felt himself form a smile, only to have it fall when he saw who was really at the door.

"Mr. Cena, you should be out in five minutes. Remember, you're opening the show tonight with Randy."

John gave a nod of acknowledgement before he slammed the door shut. He knew he needed to put aside whatever was happening to him. He never mixed emotion with work and this time was no exception. Taking a deep breath, John grabbed a bottle of water to accompany him to his walk to the ring.

His air time took a total of fifteen minutes, which lucky for him, went by fast. He felt energized when he returned backstage but that was quickly halted once he got further in. He was a few steps away from his locker room before he finally saw Roxanne. She was smiling brightly while standing in a circle with Ted, Eve, and Cody. She looked awfully comfortable standing next to them; standing next to Ted.

John clenched his fingers into his palm and soon enough, he found himself cursing Eve under his breath. He knew this was her work and judging from the way Roxanne was playing with her hair, it worked. A few more seconds passed before Roxanne finally caught sight of John. She waved at him and smiled brighter than usual. He simply nodded before slipping back into his room. Damn them. Damn Eve. Damn Ted. Damn Roxanne. And most of all, damn John. He couldn't believe how ridiculous he was starting to feel over something he couldn't even explain to himself.

After taking a seat, John promised to engage himself into watching the show and watching the show only.

* * *

It was another lonely night for John Cena. He'd been laying in bed, just staring, for so long, he memorized how many curves and ripples the curtains made. Whatever it was he tried to do, gradual deterioration of his sanity elicited and there was nothing more that he wanted than sleep. Luckily, his eyelids started dropping and before he knew it, he was fast asleep.

Eight hours passed. The sunlight woke him up before the alarm clock did and by that time, he found himself wishing to still be fast asleep. The thoughts that lingered right before his slumber hadn't gone away. His immediate action, due to routine, led him to check his phone. Surprised, he had five missed calls and four text messages. All were from Roxanne.

_John?_

_Please pick up your phone._

_Pretty please? I need you._

_Well…I guess you fell asleep. Or maybe you're just busy. Or are you avoiding me? Well, whatever it is, I hope you have a good night's sleep. I'm finally in my hotel room so I'm gonna get some sleep of my own. Talk to you soon. I miss you._

The last text message was sent at midnight and the last missed call was made at three in the morning. Rather than replying, John immediately got up and walked to her room. He knew exactly where it was and there was no distraction that stopped him from getting there within three minutes, tops.

Roxanne opened the door not long after John began to knock and it looked as if she had just woken up.

"Sorry," John apologized immediately.

She scrunched her face and shook her head. She mumbled, "Whatever it is you're talking about, it's okay."

"Did I wake you up?" He walked into the room and she slowly closed the door behind them.

"Mhm," she moaned.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah." She sat on the edge of her bed and looked up at John wonderingly. She was never a morning person but being in his presence made the process of waking up easier. In fact, he made it enjoyable. However, something about right now seemed indifferent.

"What were all those texts and calls about, then?"

"Ugh, don't even remind me, John," she groaned. "Last night was horrible."

Last night. John's thoughts were suddenly brought back to it and he couldn't help but feel tense. Last night was horrible.

"It didn't look horrible for you," he spat.

"What do you mean?" Roxanne asked as she watched him take a seat at the far end of the room. She didn't know why he seemed angry but she shook her head and continued talking, "I was stuck with Eve, Cody, and Ted all night- all night! I couldn't escape them, John."

"Weren't you lucky."

"Not really."

"You looked pretty happy when I saw you. I've never seen you smile so brightly."

"Brightly? John, I tried to make my smile look ridiculous just so you'd come over but you never did. I wanted you to get me outta there," she explained. The look on her face told the story well and suddenly, John's senses returned. He began to feel ridiculous. Why had he allowed last night to happen? Not only did he have a bad time but she did too. That was not part of the plan.

"Well…I'm sorry," he apologized. "I didn't know you needed me last night."

"I always do," she mumbled, smiling. She wasn't sure if he had heard it or not, but either way, she didn't care. Her smile seemed to put everything at ease, regardless. She watched John's face begin to soften as he joined her on the bed. They allowed a few seconds of silence to pass, feeling satisfied with simply being in each other's presence.

"You wanna grab some breakfast?" John asked after hearing her stomach growl. He didn't receive a quick response and so he scooted his face closer and looked at her. She smiled and simply nodded.

"Let's go then," he added right before grabbing her hand and heading towards the door.

* * *

"I saw you with her."

John was walking to his locker room when he heard a man's voice say those words. He wasn't sure who he was talking to so he turned to face the speaker. It was Randy with a serious look on his face.

John raised his eyebrows.

"Roxanne, John. I saw you walking with her and that's not the first time."

John shrugged.

"Or the second time, or the sixth time. I've seen you guys a lot lately."

John brought a hand to rub his forehead lightly.

"You have a wife so be careful," Randy warned.

"Careful with what? Having friends?"

"You know what I mean, John. Having the wrong type of friendship. That's what I'm talking about."

John sighed.

Randy spoke again, "Here, lemme ask, are you guys in any way attracted to each other? Because everyone knows a man and a woman can't be close friends if they are."

"And why is that?"

"Because it won't work out like that. Eventually, someone will end up wanting more."

"Randy, we're both fully aware, just like you are, that I have a wife."

"Exactly. So why would you feel the need to build this close friendship with someone you're attracted to? I mean, there's plenty of people out there you can make friends with, John. You already have a wife to be attracted to."

"So… anyone a married person is friends with is unattractive. Supposedly. Is that what you're trying to say?"

Left to think, Randy pursed his lips. He gazed at his friend for a good second before he replied, "I'm just tryna look out for you. Just be careful and don't fuck up too bad."

"I won't," John stated firmly. "Don't worry about it, man, because I'm not."

Randy chuckled, with a tone of unease. "That's exactly what I mean, though. You're not thinking about what you're doing."

"I don't have to think," John decided. "I'm happy and I don't even have to try. I don't know how to explain it Randy, but having Roxanne makes me feel invincible."

"That's the problem though, you're not," Randy countered.

* * *

"I knew she was here," Miz mumbled to himself. He had just caught sight of Roxanne with a few divas and was now conjuring up of his next scheme. His thoughts were interrupted when a couple guys turned the corner. Randy and John, to be exact.

Miz watched as the two joined the divas in their circle. He observed closely, seeing Randy excuse himself from everyone. Next, he saw John and Roxanne slip away together.

"Huh," Miz said feeling confirmed that his previous accusations were indeed true. "I knew it. I knew I would catch them sooner or later. Now, I just have to help his wife catch them too."

* * *

**Author's Notes:** I know, this chapter wasn't all that, right? Hopefully I can make up for it in the next coming chapters. I already know where I wanna take the story, I just don't quite know how to put everything together. I'm trying to further develop certain aspects and whatnot. What do you guys think so far? :)

_January 15, 2011_


	9. How to Handle

**Chapter 9**  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own anyone from the WWE.

**The best people ever: **Sonib89, PSNC100502, Lauren, Animal-Viper-Cena Fan, Cena's baby doll, Felonxoxo, and xXParieceXx. Thanks for your encouraging reviews! I hope you all enjoy this chapter. I have to say, the beginning is my favorite part :)

* * *

Mistakes can encourage growth and lead one closer to their rightful destination. John Cena was fully aware of this and used spending time with Roxanne as his form of navigation. He knew it was a mistake to continue to do so, but the question was, what exactly was the mistake? Building this deep friendship behind his wife's back? Or allowing himself to hold onto months of degradation for the sake of sufficing a marriage certificate and familiarity? He was still trying to figure it out and perhaps, things were beginning to look a little clearer.

John had been watching TV in his hotel room with Roxanne, for the past half-hour, and just as the commercials went on, he let his voice out. "Huh."

Roxanne turned her head at an angle to look at him. "What?"

"You know what I just realized?" he asked rhetorically. He didn't wait for her answer. "Everyone is against us. Liz, to begin with, didn't want me to help that night you got drunk. Miz told me to back off. You told me to back off. Randy's telling me to be careful. I mean, damn, is there anyone out there who's okay with our friendship?"

"Of course there is," she assured.

John looked over at her with a curious face, thinking she had the answer to everything. "And who would that be?"

"You," she replied. "Isn't that who matters?"

"And you," he added with a smile. Her answer more than satisfied him. Without hesitation, he reached forward and grabbed her hand, interlacing it with his own. He used his thumb to massage hers and allowed this action to overtake with silence. The simply touch of her skin sent every divine emotion to him. Some he'd only felt with her, the rest simply amplified by her, like no other. This was exactly what he meant by feeling invincible. No matter how wrong anyone said this was, his feelings were enough justification. They were wrong in the right way. If only everyone knew how it felt, they'd understand. But then again, he'd rather be selfish and keep all her worth to himself.

Roxanne seemed to be in deep thought, staring at their locked hands. John decided against interrupting, so he simply continued to stare at her, studying her features further more. He confirmed his previous conclusion that she grew more beautiful every time he saw her. She really did.

"What?" she cut through the silence once noticing his prolonged stare.

He smiled. "What are you thinking about? Honestly."

"How guilty I feel for liking this," she answered, squeezing his hand tighter. She chuckled after seeing John tense up. He looked nervous. "You asked for honesty."

"I know…I know, Rox. I guess I just didn't expect your answer. Especially after yesterday and how easily you brushed off my confession."

"Brushing that off doesn't mean my feelings don't exist. They do, John, trust me. I just know how to handle it."

"Do you?"

"Yeah."

"Really?"

"Yeah"

"Are you sure about that?" John challenged. He pulled his face closer towards her, making the space between them gradually decrease, inch by inch, centimeter by centimeter. He paused just when their lips were about to touch. He had done this for the sake of a simple tease, a simple joke, a simple test but it didn't end up that way. He didn't realize how tantalizing the thought of kissing her actually was until he got this close, this personal. He looked at her before allowing his eyes to close, barely seeing her do the same. He then placed a hand on her jaw, closing the little space left between them. He was actually going to kiss her and she was going to kiss him back. They were almost there.

Suddenly, her phone went off, sending the both of them into a fit of disappointment. They had gotten so caught up in the last couple seconds which made the next ones that came seemed dreadful. Their temperature dropped completely, their bodies numb, and their hearts even colder.

"H-hello?" Roxanne answered quickly, not bothering to check the caller ID. "Oh hey, Eve. What's up?"

John watched as she shifted the phone from her right ear to her left ear. She moved closer towards the edge of the bed and further away from him.

"Uh-huh…yeah…really…wow, he would tell you that…alright, well thanks for letting me know. It really doesn't matter to me though… yeah…of course not…okay, bye."

She hung up the phone and looked at it for a good second before she reported to John about the call. "That was Eve. She said Miz was looking for me and all this crap."

"Huh," John said. It wasn't that he was uninterested in what Roxanne had to say, but he couldn't adjust to the mere fact that they were so close kissing but were now talking about Miz That just didn't seem like a fair trade. However, maybe it was. Maybe that call did save them. Maybe that kiss wasn't supposed to happen, no matter how much the both of them wanted it to.

"John I um-" Roxanne began to say. She stopped as soon as her eyes met his. Her heart began to race, her breathing began to get heavy. She watched as his fingers made their way to the strands of her hair that fell out of place. He smoothed them over and slipped them behind her ear carefully.

"John I-" she tried again but now he stopped her.

"No, Rox, I should be the one talking. I'm the one who owes you an apology. I was only trying to tease you, I swear."

The look on her face didn't get any better from his statement. _I was only trying to tease you_.

"I didn't mean for us to kiss - almost kiss - but I-I cant, we can't. It wouldn't be fair to my wife… or you."

_My wife. _That rung Roxanne's ears loud and clear. She was trying to cope with the unfamiliarity of him mentioning her. This was definitely a first.

"I'm sorry for almost kissing you."

She could only nod, feeling a knot in her throat.

"Are you okay?" John asked her.

She nodded again.

"Rox…" he called out. His eyes pierced right through hers, burning into all her thoughts and incorporating them into his own. He knew he hurt her. Not because he almost kissed her. Not because he didn't. And definitely not because he brought up his wife. But because, for the first time, he actually gave her a thought that he was trying to be more than a friend. He knew that hurt. It elicited hope; the same hope that hung her on suspense hooks.

'_You have a wife. That's more important than anything you'll ever say to me.' _

'_Brushing that off doesn't mean my feelings don't exist. They do, John, trust me. I just know how to handle it.'_

Her voice echoed in his head as a mechanism of assurance that even after this, after all they've been through, they were still going to be okay.

"Rox," he repeated.

"John."

"Yeah?"

"For the record, I wasn't going to kiss you back. Hell, I wasn't even going to let you get any closer. I told you, I know how to handle my emotions. Whatever they may be."

Nodding his head, John laughed. Yup, that was definitely Roxanne talking. She never failed to incorporate humor into their conversations and this was another one of her fair shares. However, John wasn't sure if this one doubled as a cop out. Maybe she tried shifting focus from the truth because she lied about being able to handle it. Or maybe, she really wasn't going to kiss him back.

Either way, John welcomed the idea of them still being on good ends. He knew that was the only sufficient that'd get him through the next few days.

* * *

"_I feel like we haven't been talking as much, what's going on?" _

"I'm sorry, Liz. I've been real busy over here, I haven't had much time."

"_No time for your wife?" _

"I'm sorry."

"_Sorry isn't gonna cut it, John. Come home soon. Can you tomorrow?"_

"I'm not sure yet, but I'll fly out as soon as I get a big enough break. Just stay busy with what you're doing over there, please. For me and for you."

"_Yeah, yeah, whatever. Bye."_

"I love you."

"_I love you too."_

John hung up then tossed the phone into his duffle bag. He was alone in his locker room for another house show. Roxanne had left fifteen minutes ago insisting to buy them both food, since they'd been starving all day. After spending so much time with just each other, eating became forgotten. Each other's company seemed to be enough for survival.

A couple minutes passed when a knock was made at the door. Thinking it was Roxanne, John opened the door but was met by a surprise. It wasn't Roxanne, it was Miz.

"Where is she?" he barged into the room, looking around as he did.

John shook his head and asked, "find what you're looking for?"

Unsatisfied, Miz made a face to showcase it. "I'm still watching you John Cena."

"It's good to know I have an audience even backstage."

"You won't be thinking it's so good once I catch you." Miz stormed out of the room and made his way down the hallway. He kept walking until his senses stopped him. Up ahead, he saw Roxanne making her way towards him. Right as they caught each other's eyes, she disappeared into a corner.

"Bitch," Miz muttered, running after her. He turned the way she did when he reached the end of the hall but saw no sight of her. He continued running but after having no luck, he retreated his steps and went back to John's locker room. He knocked but no one answered.

"I know she's in there. Open the fucking door!"

He banged on it a few more times before Randy walked by and asked, "Miz, what are you doing?"

"John wont open the damn door."

"How could he? He just left to go to his match."

"Ugh!" Miz groaned, slamming both of his hands against the door.

"Now, I'm sure you have better things to do," Randy said before walking away.

Miz groaned some more, before making his way back to his own locker room.

* * *

_Yes John, I'll still be on the road by the time you get back, I promise. Don't worry too much, alright? Just relax, please. You're too cute to get pre-mature wrinkles. _

John read over the text Roxanne had just sent him. He was home and although he wasn't too happy about it, he still had to pass the time. He'd been on his phone, just texting, while he waited for his wife to finish getting ready.

"Liz!" he called out, right as he finished sending his reply. "We're gonna be late."

"I'm coming, I'm coming."

John turned his head and watched as his wife made her way down the stairs.

"Why'd you make early reservations anyway?"

He shrugged. "I thought you'd be excited to eat dinner with me, I guess."

"Yeah but you know I don't get off work that early."

"Well I'm sorry."

"Right. Let's go."

Sighing, John slipped his phone into his pocket then got out with his wife. The drive was awfully quiet, but that was nothing new. John made it a habit to check his phone every stoplight but each time had the same outcome. No new messages.

"I'm starving," Liz mentioned, her eyes dancing around the menu. They'd been seated for a good five minutes but neither have picked their dish. While everything looked good to her, nothing appealed to him. He just didn't have an appetite.

She added, "the food better come fast."

John couldn't help but roll his eyes. Earlier she'd bashed him for making early reservations and now she was demanding quick service? She was full of contradictions and by now he should've been used to it. But he wasn't, definitely not.

"Do you know what you wanna order yet?" she asked him.

"Nah," he answered, feeling a vibration in his pocket. He grabbed the phone and read his new text.

"You know, maybe you'd actually find something you want if you put the damn phone down."

_Trust me, this phone already has what I want._ He thought subliminally. Soon after, he began to process exactly how long this night was going to be.

Later that night, after hours of back and forth text messages, John finally received his last one.

_John, please don't freak out, but I just had an encounter with Miz. It wasn't harmful or anything, I'm still in one piece. He did grab my wrist though and I have a mark to remember it for a few days. But seriously, don't worry. I'm fine. I'm with a bunch of the roster and they're keeping an eye out for me. I'll text you tomorrow though. I know it's already late over there, since you are three hours ahead. Get some sleep please? And be patient with your wife. Might as well make the best of it. Alright? Goodnight, I miss you. _

John sighed as he read the text one more time. He didn't know what irked him more - hearing about Miz touching Roxanne or hearing Roxanne say she'll talk to him another time. Both felt equally as destructive to John and being the only one awake, on a bed with his wife, didn't help the already sour situation. It was great, just great.

He got up and made his to the hallway just outside their bedroom. He turned the light on and kept walking until a picture on the wall stopped him. It was of Liz and him, holding each other closely with beaming smiles. It was taken nearly two years ago, on their wedding day, but neither of them looked the same anymore. They looked like a completely different people now.

"What happened to us, Liz?" he whispered. He touched the frame before realizing their anniversary was just a few days away. He couldn't believe it had slipped his mind and how it failed to be brought up in their recent conversations. Had their marriage really gotten this dry and undetected?

Knowing what he had to do, John made his way into their office to plan.

* * *

"Liz! Nice to have you back so soon," Randy greeted.

"I hope you're not being sarcastic."

"Oh, no, not me." Randy shook his head and smiled. "How was the flight?"

"It was alright, John slept through the whole thing."

"Really? That doesn't sound like him. He never sleeps."

"Yeah well, I get it when I can," John cut in.

"So, are you guys going to the club with everyone tonight?" Randy asked.

"Maybe," Eve replied. "I'm only on the road for a couple days so we'll see. John said he has a surprise for me here."

"A surprise here?" Randy raised his eyebrows. "The good kind of surprise, right?"

"Yeah, would there be a bad surprise?" Liz questioned.

John cleared his throat and shot a look at Randy. He wasn't sure what the viper was trying to do but he figured it'd be best if everyone just stopped talking all together. Right when silence fell, a group of people passed by and John immediately picked out Roxanne from the crowd. She hadn't noticed them yet, but right when she did, John felt his heart drop. He watched as her eyes traveled to him, to Liz, then back to him. He hadn't mentioned he was back and with baggage. Hopefully she would be just as understanding like always.

"It's-it's a good surprise. Hopefully good enough," John spoke up, forcing his attention back to the conversation. "But listen, me and my wife have some unpacking to do. We'll just see you and everyone later tonight."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Everyone in the same place? Uh-oh. I have a question though. Do you guys prefer lengthy chapters or ones that are short, sweet, and to the point? I may not have completely control over this, strictly because I already know what stuff I want to happen, but I'll try more for what you guys prefer. So let me know that and what you thought of this chapter, yeah? Thanks!

_January 21, 2011_


	10. Different

**Chapter 10**  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own anyone from the WWE.

**Author's Notes:** Warning! If ever you feel like you're missing something during this chapter, you probably are. Just go along with it, and eventually, everything will be explained. Shout out to Sonib89, Felonxoxo, Animal-Viper-Cena Fan, xXParieceXx, bathpinkdog, Cena's baby doll, and Lauren - thank you all for your reviews. Enjoy everyone!

* * *

"Ted, you need to calm down," Roxanne advised right as she watched him tumble to the floor. He had gotten into a hysterical fit, mumbling words no one could make out. It was obvious he'd exceeded his alcohol limit and that only meant trouble. Roxanne was trying to pull him back up but instead, found herself crashing to the ground with him. He was one of those sloppy drunks who would laugh in bursts for no apparent reason. It was both entertaining and a complete pain in the ass.

"Keep me and the floor company, Roxanne."

"I will, if you promise me, no more drinks for tonight. Alright?"

"Aight!" Ted made a fist and threw it up in the air. He did this once, twice, which was already enough, then one more time. Right as he was going for the fourth, Roxanne reached up and grabbed his hand. "Oh, so you wanna hold my hand now, huh?"

"No, Ted. You almost hit someone."

"Hey, good job, Ted!" he congratulated himself before falling into another fit of laughter.

"Man, get your ass up," Randy ordered. He pulled the other man from the floor and helped him to a seat, before lending a hand to Roxanne. "Don't even try taking care of him by yourself."

She got to her feet and shrugged. "I can handle him."

"Trust me, you wouldn't wanna test that. He's known for hooking up with a bunch of girls, so please, don't be a part of that list. Since he's drunk, he may just break you."

Laughing, Roxanne shook her head. "Randy, that's ridiculous. First of all, I'm not that type of girl. And second of all, even if I was, I can still handle him."

"You've been warned."

"You know Randy, ever since you got married, you've been different."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, but it's a good kind of different. Improvement, I'd say."

"Yeah, well, that's what marriage does to you," Randy smiled. "I um- I just wish John could learn to say the same."

Right as he finished talking, both their eyes suddenly fell to the object of topic. John had just arrived with his wife and was now making his way through the crowds. Not knowing what to say, Roxanne just shot Randy a smile then looked at John again. He had already fixed his eyes on her by the time he got in talking distance.

"Hey Randy. Hey Roxanne," John greeted.

"Hey," the two answered in unison.

Liz, on the other hand, crossed her arms and looked around as awkward stares were passed between everyone else.

"Roxanne! You promised you'd keep me company tonight. Come here," Ted commanded. He draped his arm over her neck before using this hold to pull her towards him.

"Alright, well, I'ma go hang out with this drunk. Have a good night you guys."

"Yes but you be damn careful," Randy said firmly, watching as the two walked off.

"I will!" she replied, not bothering to look back.

"Why, is she going to his hotel room?" John asked.

"I don't know," Randy shrugged.

John looked at the two as they got further and further away. He would've kept staring, until they disappeared from view completely, but his wife spoke up, "I want a drink, John."

He nodded before going back to this usual, dreadful routine.

The next few minutes were fine but after the twentieth, John was beginning to question why they were there in the first place. He saw no use - they ostracized themselves from the whole scene anyway. All he could do was look around and see if he'd get a glance at how Roxanne was doing. That didn't help since she was no where to be found. The questions that followed were even worse. It induced his imagination to reach lengths he wish it never did; they were horrific and it made him worry. If Roxanne wasn't here, what could she be possibly be doing? She'd complained about being stuck with Ted a few nights ago and this seemed to be a repeat. Was she doing okay? Did she need his rescue but couldn't find a way to ask? John couldn't stop circulating these questions in his head but as the minutes passed, he grew more distracted. His wife had misjudged her alcohol limit and was quickly beginning to look like a female version of Ted - sloppy and drunk.

"Mumba ramba John Cena! My one and only husband that you can't see."

John couldn't help but chuckle. Had he really not paid enough attention that she ended up getting this drunk? It wasn't a surprise, but it was sure an amusement. Seeing his wife in a whole different state of mind was refreshing. Enjoyable, actually. Something he hadn't been able to say, about her, in the last few months

"Let's go join everyone!" she grabbed his hand and made her way towards the roster. They were met with wondering eyes. Surprised would've been an understatement.

"She's um- she's a little drunk," John explained, to those close enough to him.

"So far, I cant say that could be worse than her being sober. She actually seems relaxed," someone commented.

John laughed, obviously not offended. In fact, he actually agreed. His wife did seem more laid back and not retentive anal. Maybe this night wasn't going to be so bad after all. This thought was confirmed, the very next minute, when Roxanne and Ted magically appeared nearby. John couldn't help but stare at them.

Ted was laughing and putting an awful lot of weight on Roxanne, but like always, she looked relaxed. She possessed such an immaculate sense of serenity and he bet she didn't even know she did. She was just…her and she did it effortlessly.

John then took a quick glace at his wife. She seemed to be busy making friends with some people he couldn't recognize but that didn't bother him. In fact, he didn't really care. He got up from the booth and walked over to Roxanne. "Hey, you."

She grabbed Ted's arm, that was draped over her shoulders, and slickly replaced it with John's. She hugged his torso tightly, feeling him do the same.

"How are you?" he asked.

She smiled, "I'm better now."

John furrowed instantly. "Was it going bad?"

"No, not at all," she shook her head. "I'm just saying, it's better now."

"Oh, because I'm with you?"

She crinkled her nose before she shook her head again. "You're giving yourself a little too much credit there, John."

Laughing, John retightened his grip on her, then allowed his lips to kiss her temple. She pulled away to a slight and asked, "where's Liz?"

"She's over there somewhere," John replied, slightly tilting his head to the right. He didn't even bother looking to that direction for confirmation but it didn't look like he cared. Roxanne, on the other hand, stole a quick glance.

"She's drunk, isn't she?" Roxanne asked. Suddenly, this whole thing started to make sense. "Ah, no wonder you're here. You should go take care of her though."

"She's doing fine."

"Yeah but she would do even better if you were with her."

"You should know."

She glared at him before allowing her hand to smack his chest. "Go back to your wife, John. You need to watch out for her."

"Alright, alright," John gave in. "You be careful tonight, though. I'll text you before I go to sleep."

"I might be busy," she smiled.

Alarmed, John raised his eyebrows. "Doing what?"

"Sleeping."

"Better be by yourself."

Roxanne shrugged.

"I'm serious, Rox. I don't want anything to happen to you. Or for you to catch anything."

"I can take care of myself, John."

"I know but-"

"And I do too. I know what you want me to know. Don't worry about me, just focus on Liz right now. Aight? Aight."

Slowly succumbing to acceptance, John wrapped both arms around her one more time. Right when they fully closed the space between them, John closed his eyes, feeling the world at a stop. The music was loud, voices percolated from everywhere, but nothing, absolutely nothing stopped him from feeling like they were the only people in the room.

"I'll still text you before I sleep," he said.

Nodding, Roxanne let go and watched as he slowly made his way back to his wife.

* * *

"You seem different."

"Do I really?" Roxanne asked monotonously, not bothering to divert from the window she's been looking through, for the past fifteen minutes. She wasn't sure who was talking and she cared even less. She'd been sitting in the hotel café, minding her own business, and only wished for the same courtesy in return. Apparently, that wasn't going to happen.

"Yeah, you do."

"How could you classify me as being different? You don't even know me."

"I do actually. I know that when your smile is fake, one side is higher than the other. I also know it takes a whole lot for you to leave something behind. Even if it's worth is shitless."

Rather than being impressed with their piece of knowledge, Roxanne turned to look at the speaker with a disturbed face. "You got all that from staring at me?"

Ted laughed. "We've been friends for a while now, I've been knowing."

"Okay, so should I congratulate you now?"

"Whoa, whoa. You're a spitfire today. Which proves my point exactly. What's going on, Roxanne? Are you mad at me for being a drunk two nights ago? Did you deal with a narcissistic diva this morning?"

She shook her head and didn't say a word. Instead, she returned her eyes to the window.

"Oh come on now. Don't be mad at me, I didn't do anything. Is looking through the window really that much better than talking to me?"

"Actually-"

"You know what, don't even answer that. I'd rather not get my feelings hurt," he half-joked. "I just wanted to see if you were okay because, like I said, you seem different. If you change your mind and you decide you wanna talk, just call me. Alright?"

Roxanne didn't say anything which left Ted with no choice but to finally walk away. Just as he was about to pass ear-shot, she spoke up. "Ted, say you have this relationship with someone."

Ted returned to the empty space beside her and nodded, curious to what else she had to say.

"It's forbidden but it makes living through hell feel perfect. Everything can go wrong but as long as you're secured in that relationship, you feel okay. Then, all of a sudden, that same relationship starts to crumble because something better comes along, or say, something better came back. What do you think about that relationship?"

"Something better came back? Well, I'd say there was no true relationship to begin with then."

"Why not?"

"Because it seems like that relationship was dependent on that other person, the outsider, who came back. Which makes no sense at all because isn't a true relationship based solely on the two people involved? If it's not, then, I'd think that relationship was just a placeholder, a rebound, a filler-in, if you may."

"Hm."

"Why, does this pertain to you in any way?"

"Nope," she half-lied. "You can't question things, such as a relationship, that was never there in the first place, right?"

"Actually you can. Because you and me don't necessarily have a relationship but I can ask you for one."

Roxanne gave him a second to take it back, but when she found out he was actually serious, she fell into a fit of laughter.

"What? Is it really that funny?"

"Ted, the last thing I wanna do is lead you on. So I'll be straight up right now, I don't wanna be anything more than a friend to you."

"Alright, well, just give me tonight."

"You're not gonna change my mind."

"And I wont even try to. Just spend the night with me, no strings attached, we'll go back to being just friends tomorrow morning. Come on. Just ditch the window right now and spend some time with me. That's all I ask. I promise I'll take good care of you."

Roxanne fidgeted with her fingers as the idea of spending time with this man started to sink in. It didn't seem so bad. She opened her mouth to speak then stopped vehemently when she caught John's eyes. He had walked into the café with his wife, looking secured as ever in an affectionate embrace. He looked at Roxanne and Ted for a good second before he returned his attention back to Liz. Roxanne got that same cold shoulder, almost as if she a plague, from him like she's been for the past two days.

"So?" Ted, oblivious to John, stepped closer, occupying all of Roxanne's peripheral view.

"Fine, I'll give you tonight."

* * *

"Ted, I already told you, I'm too sore to-" Roxanne began to say.

It was eight o'clock in the morning and she'd already opened her door a good three times. The first one, which was just fifteen minutes ago, was to let Ted out. The next two were to simply reject his nagging offer to work-out with him. She mistook this fourth time for being the same as the last two. She was so wrong that she could've sworn her heart stopped beating.

"John I-um, I thought you were…" her words trailed off on him for the first time and he didn't make the experience feel welcomed. He looked at her with a blank face.

"Uh… do you… wanna come in?" she asked, filling in the eerie silence.

"Not if you're busy," John shrugged. If Roxanne thought he'd been cold for the past couple of days then this was safe to call frozen. He seemed so disconnected from her, almost careless. But then again, if he didn't care, he wouldn't have shown up at her room in the first place.

"I'm not," she said quickly, hoping to regain the John she knew. "Come in."

He did so, slowly, looking around. Right as his eyes met the rest of the room, Roxanne mentally slapped herself. She couldn't deny the trouble on his face when he looked at the pieces of clothing thrown in different parts of the room, with the comforter barely draped over the bed. It was a mess and only a fool would think nothing happened in there last night.

"Wow," John said, before finally looking at Roxanne.

Her face was pain stricken but he was too bothered with his own emotions to notice.

"I um-"

"No need to explain yourself, Rox."

"Well, why-" she began to speak but couldn't find the strength to continue. For the first time, she felt broken even while standing in front of John. That never happened. He always made her feel whole, feel complete. But not now, not this time.

"What?" John asked, his eyes piercing right through her, almost as if it were helping her feel even smaller.

"Why have you been acting so different lately?"

"Different? I haven't talked to you for two days, how could you possibly come up with the conclusion that I'm different? I mean, unless that's what you're talking about. That us not talking for two days makes me different?"

Roxanne didn't say anything. Her smart remarks were gone, her humor was no where present. She looked scared, almost.

John had no trouble continuing the talk. "Out of all people, I thought you'd understand."

"John I-I was just worried. You haven't been returning my text messages and I just wanted to know how you were doing."

"You've been seeing me, though right?"

"Yeah, but from afar. You never even smiled back, or said hello. The times we were only a few feet apart, you made it feel like a whole country was between us."

"I've been with Liz, Roxanne. You know the situation. But you saw me smiling right? Wasn't that what you needed to see?"

"Yeah," Roxanne mumbled, feeling herself continuing to shrink. Tears were beginning to burn through her eyes but luckily, her blinks stopped them from falling.

"Look," John began, walking towards her. His voice was a lot softer now. "I do understand why you'd say I'm different. I am different but it's not in the same way you think. I can't explain it to you right now."

She nodded.

"I just came by to check up on you before I went to a signing. We'll just talk another time, alright?"

She nodded again.

John backed up, returning his eyes to the bed, before he turned his back on her. He walked away and almost at an instant, Roxanne heard the door open then shut. He hadn't even bothered giving her a hug.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Confused? Hate me? No worries, the next chapter, I will come baring with explanations! I'll give what I left out. What do you guys think though?

_January 29, 2011 - Happy birthday momma!_


	11. Can't Be Friends

**Chapter 11**  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own anyone from the WWE.

**Author's Notes:** I promised you guys explanations and here they are! Everything in italics are flashbacks of those two days when Liz was on the road. I hope it'll all come together and make sense. Thanks very much to: Sonib89, BigRedMachineUK, PSNC100502, Cena's baby doll, Lauren, Felonxoxo, Animal-Cena-Viper Fan, and xXParieceXx. You guys are the fucking best, enjoy!

* * *

"_John, how much longer is this drive?" Liz asked, placing her hand over the blindfold he had placed on her._

"_We're almost there baby, just relax," he assured, squeezing her hand tightly. Out of fear, she squeezed it back. Having one of her senses taken away scared the shit out of her, and although she trusted her husband, she couldn't help but still feel antsy._

"_Why am I hearing so much gravel? Where are we?"_

_Ignoring her questions, John pulled up and immediately got out of the car. He opened her door and gently helped her out. He stood behind her, securing her waist with both of his hands, while guiding them straight ahead. Once they reached the spot, he slowly took off the blindfold. At first, she was hit with the darkness. They were outdoors, high up, somewhere. As she began to look around, the headlights of the car led her eyes to something. There was a sign, held up by sticks from the ground, that said 'Happy Anniversary!'. The placard would've been undetectable, considering it was late at night, but the car's headlights provided enough light for her to see it._

"_Oh my gosh, John," she turned to face her husband. At first she was struck in awe, which was quickly followed by a feeling of guilt. She had forgotten it was their anniversary but wasn't sure if John noticed. __However, that didn't seem to matter because soon enough, John smiled, quickly bringing his lips to hers. He kissed her just like he did on their wedding day and it felt good. They felt good. _

As did the rest of that night, and the two days after that. He did absolutely everything he could possibly do for his wife. Now that she was back home, he couldn't help but feel lonely again. To add to the already sour situation, him and Roxanne hadn't been on good terms. In fact, they hadn't talked, at all, since he left her room that one morning. A few days had gone by since but no exchange of communication concurred. To make matters heavier, he knew it was all his fault. He'd been awfully cold to her and he could never forget the look on her face when he walked away. She looked broken, more so than she ever did with Miz.

However, John still couldn't come to terms with what he saw. The pieces of clothing thrown randomly around her room, the messed up bed, her mistaking him for Ted at the door. The feeling he had that morning couldn't seem to subside to the guilt he had for reacting so harshly towards her. It proved to be too hard, nearly impossible. The Roxanne he knew wouldn't have done anything like that. Or maybe he didn't know her like he thought he did. Not at all.

Sighing, John pressed the home button on his phone, checking to see if he'd gotten a text message or a call. He did but none were from her. None were from Roxanne.

His thoughts were then brought back to what she had asked. _Why have you been acting so different lately?_

He wanted to tell her exactly why but he couldn't. For one thing, what he saw prior to her asking that stopped him from being anywhere close to being okay. He couldn't handle that question after being in such a foul mood. Second of all, it was just that. He couldn't answer her, just yet, especially now. It would've defeated his whole purpose for needing to change.

Ever since he went home and saw his wedding portrait, he couldn't help but feel the need to give his marriage a fair shot. He'd neglected the effort needed in that matrimony ever since he'd gotten so caught up with Roxanne. He figured it'd be best to distance himself from her, for while, just so he could focus on his wife.

He knew he should've just been straight up with Roxanne and told her all of this. She would've understood and it would've made things between them a whole lot better than it was now. But it was too late. Besides, John didn't know how to tell her. Other than trying to fix his marriage, there was also a second part - that if his effort led him to nowhere, he would seriously consider divorce.

He couldn't tell anyone that; even Roxanne, who'd been his only true confidante. She wasn't supposed to know he was vehemently trying to decide between her and his wife. Knowledge of his plan wouldn't have been fair to either of them. He thought it would've been ridiculous to let them know: _'Oh hey, I'm trying to choose between the two of you, I'll let you guys know my decision after I test-drive the both of you.'_

Although that was exactly what he was doing, he still couldn't bring the news to either of them. Not until he made his final decision. That way, none of them would've been kept in torture. He knew how painful waiting could be.

On top of that, he knew his wife deserved the better shot, and so, he gave it to her. Unfortunately, that meant having to deter the friendship he had with Roxanne. But he had to do what he had to do. Even more unfortunate, his plan ended up pushing him into greater confusion. While he was almost convinced that Roxanne made him happy, like no one could, the friction that happened between them made him question everything all over again.

And now there he was, stuck in a room all my himself, his questions far from answered.

"_Liz!"_

_The wife of John Cena was walking alone when she turned to face her observer. He looked familiar but she didn't have a name to match the face. "Yes?"_

"_Hey, my name's Mike but you can call me Miz."_

"_Oh."_

_"I was just wondering if you'd give me your number."_

"_Excuse me?"_

"_I can keep an eye out for your husband. I'll text you pictures of him backstage if you want me to."_

_Liz looked at him with a stern face but as his words began to sink in, her face softened. "Um-"_

"_Here," Miz took a pen from his pocket and before she could even react, he grabbed her hand and turned it palm up. He scrawled his number just below her fingers. "If you ever feel like you need to know what your husband's been up to, just contact that number."_

_She jerked her hand back immediately, looking at her freshly inked skin. She didn't get a chance to say anything before the man walked away. _

Roxanne brought a hand to her temple as she threw her head back against the wall. Not only had the last few days been long but they've been brutal too. The usual strength she drew within herself was nonexistent and she couldn't quite understand why.

"You don't seem that excited," Eve spoke up, breaking the long silence between them. "I mean, you finally got a call back. And it's from a company you've been dying to work with."

"I am excited."

"You don't sound like it."

Roxanne shrugged, knowing she couldn't deny it. She finally got accepted for a job, and although she'd been waiting for this opportunity, she still felt like she was missing out on something. Hence, going home felt bittersweet.

"Have you told John you were leaving?"

"I haven't talked to him."

"Still?"

Roxanne sighed.

"It's John, isn't it?" Eve asked her friend, who only looked at her plainly. "He's the reason why you don't wanna leave."

Roxanne shook her head lightly.

"Roxy, it's just you and me in the room. There's no need to lie right now."

"I'm not lying."

"Who are you trying to convince? You or me?"

Closing her eyes tightly, Roxanne slammed her head against the wall, knowing just the right answer.

_The heavy curtains blocked the sunlight from piercing through the room but still, Roxanne couldn't keep herself from staying awake. The previous night had a been a long one and in many different ways. There was so much to remember, so much to think about, that her mind couldn't seem to stay still with one thought._

_The neglect she felt from John - a continuation - now had a face for her to engrain in her mind. The look he gave her, right before deliberately turning the other way as if she didn't exist, couldn't escape her. _

_Now here she was, in the arms of another man. She moved her head to look at him, feeling absolutely nothing as she did - kind of like last night when they shared a moment of bliss. If anything, she wished it were someone else next to her. She wished it was John. _

"_What?" Ted spoke up, his eyes closed. He'd been in his last stages of sleep before her movement finally woke him up. _

"_Nothing," she mumbled, returning her line of vision to the foot of the bed. She felt him move closer, his bare chest lightly pressing against her._

"_Do you want me to leave now?" he asked, finally opening his eyes to stare at the ceiling._

"_I don't know… doesn't matter," she continued to mumble._

"_I probably should. I know you don't really want me here."_

_She looked up at him again, feeling as if his words were a little harsh. _

_She was met by a soft face and he chuckled, "I promised we'd go back to being just friends the next morning, and this is the next morning. Besides, I know how you really feel and I understand."_

"_What?"_

"_There's someone else, right?"_

_Roxanne knew her face was conformed into a look of confusion and she didn't bother hiding it. "What are you talking about?"_

_Ted draped his legs over of the edge of the bed and faced his back to her while he bent down to grab his shirt. He laughed as he put it on._

_"What's so funny?"_

"_Roxanne," he started to say, then grabbed his boxers and slipped into them. He stood up before he turned to look at her again. "You don't remember what you did last night, do you?"_

"_I do," she said slowly. How could she possibly forget, when his near naked body, along with hers, was there as a reminder? They had sex, that was undeniable. Having done it sober made it even more undeniable. _

_He laughed again, bending back down to grab his pants to put them on. "You called me John."_

_Her eyes widened and for a second, she felt her heart stop. Had she really done that? While they were…?_

"_At least three times," he added._

_She remembered last night clearly but not that part. Definitely not that part. But then again, she realized that seemed to be the only way she got through last night - by thinking about John. Still, she couldn't come to terms with the embarrassment of all this. The humility. _

"_Don't worry about it Roxanne, it's fine. All you had to tell me was you already had someone else."_

_At this point, her face was flushed and she couldn't utter a single word. _

"_Who is this John anyway? Were you two anything while you were with Miz? Is that why you guys broke up?"_

_Shaking her head, Roxanne realized just exactly how oblivious and unaware Ted was about everything. Even more surprising, she realized just how oblivious and unaware she'd been of her real feelings. _

"I'm leaving tomorrow. I have to go home because I got a job," Roxanne said. Her face was blank and it looked completely drained, like the life had been long sucked out of her. She'd been staring at the mirror for the past fifteen minutes; planning what she'd say to John. But after each try, she looked the same, she sounded the same, and the rehearsal didn't seem to get any better. In fact, it was making her feel worse.

"Oh who am I kidding," she muttered. "I shouldn't even try talking to you if all I have to say is good-bye."

She sighed, keeping her sight straight ahead. Her lips caught her attention and she couldn't help but think back to how John tried to kiss her, how he almost kissed her, how he found her desirable enough to try such a thing. Her thoughts - which, right now, were more pleasant than her recent ones - were interrupted by a hasty knock at the door. She didn't have enough time to debate whether or not to open it, she just did.

"Rox."

The emotion that had long disappeared from her face suddenly returned, as did that feeling in her heart. Thump, thump, thump.

"John."

Silence partook the next few seconds, allowing the two of them to speak without words.

"I missed you," he finally said, stepping into the room. She didn't move at all, which made them in great proximity. It felt good after having lacked it for so long.

"I missed you too," she answered softly, taking her eyes away from his. She looked at the door before closing it behind them.

"I'm sorry for everything," he apologized, watching as her eyes returned to his. "I've had a lot on my mind. I couldn't find a way to function without making mistakes, without hurting someone, and I'm really sorry that person had to be you."

"It's fine."

"No it's not, Rox, because it hurt me too."

"You were hurt?"

"Yeah."

Roxanne nodded her head, but she looked unconvinced. It was one thing to say sorry, and she would've gladly accepted that apology, but it was another thing to lie.

"What, you don't believe me?"

"It's not that I don't believe you, John. It's just hard for me to know what's really going on right now. I've been so confused and-"

"And so you sleep with Ted? That's your way of dealing with being confused?"

"Ted has nothing to do with this."

"It does, actually. It has everything to do with this."

"No, it doesn't. You have no right to talk about something that shouldn't even concern you."

John sighed. In a simple world, she would've been right, but this world he was living in with her was anything but simple. He spoke up and with a softer voice. "I was just shocked with your…decisions. It made me feel like I didn't know you at all."

"Yeah but you've _been_ acting like you didn't know me. The last few days before I even slept with him, you've been ignoring me and-"

"We already talked about this, Rox. I was with my wife."

"Exactly, John. You have a wife and it's obvious now that we can't be friends because of it."

John felt a lump in his throat rise and no matter how hard he swallowed, it didn't going away. "So you're gonna say that too? You're just gonna give up on being friends?"

"Being friends for what, John? It's obvious we're starting to hurt each other."

"Because- Rox, it hurts because-"

"It doesn't matter why it hurts," Roxanne cut in. She didn't bother hiding the frustration in her voice. She needed to let it out. "It doesn't fucking matter, John. We don't matter. We can't matter. We can't do this anymore. We can't be friends. We can't be anything. We can't. We just can't. Do you understand that? It's starting to hurt, and it's hurting so fucking bad."

"But loosing you would hurt more," John stated indignantly. He walked towards her, taking both of her hands into his. "I know how hard it hurts Rox, because the moment I saw you with Ted, I felt it too. Just please, don't do this right now."

"Why not? Why can't we end this, huh? For what?"

"For a chance, Rox, for a chance on us, for a chance to figure out what's truly right," he answered, taking his hand to cup her cheek. "You know it wouldn't be fair to either of us if we just stopped this."

With that, he began to massage her cheek. She looked up at him with the same look he gave to her, and right then and there, John knew exactly what he had to do. He lowered his face, closed his eyes, and brought his lips to hers.

* * *

**Author's Notes:** OOOH, John and Roxanne! Does everything that happened in the days leading up to this make sense now? I sure hope so. What'd you guys think?

_February 4, 2011 - As of today, I'm officially mothafuckin 18! :) _


	12. Impossible

**Chapter 12**  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own anyone from the WWE.

**Author's Note, _February 20, 2011_**_**: **_Sorry for not updating within a week like usual. Shit happens and this one was hard to get out. HAHA! Enjoy everyone! And thanks to Lauren, Felonxoxo, Animal-Viper-Cena Fan, xXParieceXx, RatedrKjErIcHo, PSNC100502, Cena's baby doll, and Sonib89.

* * *

There was no escape. Both John and Roxanne could tell themselves over and over that they weren't falling in love but their hearts were already laughing at logic. The kiss not only provided them with security but a sense of discovery as well. For John, it was a revelation to this discover that this one woman - someone who was not his wife - could take his heart and leave him helpless. He imagined how it'd feel to kiss her before but the actuality was much more than he could take. Not only had he touched her lips, but he felt the kiss penetrate through her mind, her heart, and her whole body, making multiple connections at once. These connections had officially tied them together.

That kiss, their first kiss, happened a few days ago. The two would've been inseparable if Roxanne hadn't needed to go back home. Lucky for them, John had no shows for a couple days and he planned to spend it the best way he knew how.

"I was supposed to wear that today," John frowned as he watched Roxanne saunter across her room in his purple Cenation tee.

She made sure to make a quick glare at him before she got her phone. "You have another pair. About a hundred of them, actually."

"But I wanted _that_ one," he persisted, pointing a finger at her as she made her way back onto the bed.

She ran a hand through her hair and sighed, then changed the subject. "I can't believe I'm calling in sick on the first week I get the job."

John pursed his lips tighter then made a frown. "Rox, I told you, you don't have to."

"But I want to and I know you do too," she pouted, meticulously eyeing her phone. She didn't take another second of hesitation before she dialed her work's number. "Hello, this is Roxanne…yeah, yeah, I'm actually not feeling well today so…no, I believe I have a case of the stomach flu…yeah…alright. Thank you very much. I'll try and you too. Bye."

John raised his eyebrows. "We good?"

"Wow." She tossed the phone on the bed and nodded. "That was too easy."

"The conversation sounded casual to me. Which means," John paused to take a moment to wrap his arm around her waist, drawing her closer. "We have nothing to worry about but each other today."

Roxanne rolled her eyes. "Oh boy. As if that wasn't already enough."

"I was gonna wear this today," John repeated, completely dismissing her expected remark. He pinched the shirt and tugged on it as he brought his eyes innocently to hers. She wasn't buying it.

"I'm _not_ taking it off for you, John, go find another shirt."

"Fine. It looks better on you anyways," John commented, vehemently looking her. He trailed his eyes on her hungrily, like a lion on it's prey.

"Unless you want my fist to meet your face, I suggest you stop looking at me-"

"Well, your fist in my face wasn't the interaction I was after but if you're into that stuff, I mean-"

Roxanne didn't allow him to finish his sentence. Instead, she grabbed his face with both of her hands and brought her lips to his. She felt him tremble and for a man being his size, with his profession, it made her laugh. He was undeniably cute.

"I don't understand you," John whispered, his eyes still closed from the kiss. He allowed a second to pass before he opened them to look up at her. She was on top of him now, her hair landing freely on his face. "You're mean to me one second then you kiss me the next."

She bit her lip and smiled. She possessed such power over him and now that she was aware of it's entirety, she was lethal.

"I'm scared of you," John whispered and he wasn't lying. She was doing things to him that he couldn't quite understand and the control he'd established for himself a long time ago seemed to have disappeared. Lucky for him, she appeared and that was enough for him.

"I should be the one scared," she whispered back, a smile still present on her face.

"And why would that be?"

Before she could answer, John's phone emitted light and his wife popped up. _That's why_, Roxanne thought silently. She released herself from John and smiled, giving the married man a chance to answer the phone in solitude. She didn't bother looking back as she made her exit out of her own room.

"You okay?" Roxanne asked as John sluggishly made his way into the kitchen a few minutes later. His face looked drained and it amazed her how quick and thorough Liz was at her work. She did an impeccable job at sucking away the joy in her husband's eyes.

John raised his shoulders slightly then allowed it to drop instantly. He didn't answer by words but instead pulled her into his arms to show he needed her strength. He was exasperated from that phone call but this embrace provided him enough power to stay sane. His fingers laced through her hair as he massaged her scalp, returning the comfort he had gotten from her.

"Don't even bring her up," he muttered.

"I wasn't going to unless you did." She circled her arms around his torso and immediately changed the topic. "Let's go make breakfast. Mm?"

John tried desperately to rationalize his thoughts and as soon as Roxanne tightened her grip, he found it easy to do so.

* * *

"You're Mike right?"

"Miz, you can call me Miz too. Who is this?"

"I'll call you Mike," Liz persisted, unabated. She switched hands that she used to hold the phone before she introduced herself. "This is Liz…John Cena's wife."

"Oh, Liz!"

"You told me I could call you for-"

"For backstage access to your husband. Yeah, he's actually not on the road with us right now."

"He never mentioned that," Liz mumbled, suddenly feeling alerted.

"Oh?"

"No."

"Any idea where he could be if he isn't there with you?"

"Um…"

"Let's try to figure this out then."

* * *

A frantic energy burst through Roxanne as her back arched against John. Their kisses were not only getting deeper but it left their desires satisfied, so satisfied, that it left them yearning for even more. Much more. Her arms were linked around his neck as he stayed dipped down, capturing her lips in a gentle kiss, enchanting her even as he seduced. John resisted the urge to quicken his pace and soon enough, he didn't have to try. She pulled away, heavily breathing, heart racing. He tried desperately to read her eyes, wondering why she halted such a beautiful moment.

"Wha-" was all he could mutter out. His lips stayed parted, his mouth was dry, and his whole body suddenly felt cold.

Roxanne let out another heavy breath before she pulled herself up on her elbows, her fingers digging onto the sheets. "That was getting a little too much for me."

John gently drew his fingers through her hair, smoothing out each strand he passed. He kept his eyes still on her. "What's wrong with that?"

"John."

"What?"

"We're not even supposed to kiss and-"

"Am I not allowed to see you anymore either? I thought we talked about this already."

"Yeah but there has to be a line drawn."

"Baby, there is a line but I'm afraid we've already passed it."

Roxanne silently toyed with his words and no matter how hard she resisted, she knew he was right. They had crossed the line and it wasn't recently. It'd been a long time ago, way before their first kiss even concurred. Their physical interaction wasn't their only form of cheating, it was with their emotions too.

John sighed. "Look, you don't have to tell me again and again how wrong this is. I already know that and I've decided a long time ago I don't wanna be right. I'd rather have this with you, Rox. I can't imagine wanting anything more than to be with you. And with that said, you don't have to worry. I'm not gonna let us get any further until I've made my decision, and that decision being you."

Her eyes lingered on his and she could only frown. His decision was looking to be a loss no matter what.

"Rox." John lifted her chin before tucking away the loose hair that fell over her face. He brought his thumb to massage her temples as he watched the worry cloud up her eyes. "Stop looking at me like that."

"Like what?" She kept her frown.

"Like this is the last time you're ever gonna see me."

Her shoulders tensed up and she couldn't believe how he easily read her. There was no hiding her feelings now. "John, I can't help it. I've been the happiest I've ever been in my life and especially during these past few days. I just can't shake the fact that you may be gone the next. I know I'll have to accept it but I just…I don't know. This is rough on me too."

"Baby I know, just please, don't let your worries ruin the time we do have right now."

Nodding, Roxanne brought her pointer finger to trail down the side of his face. She'd been strong for awhile now but the weakness that laid beneath that veneer was melting away. John had taken something from her and resistance was impossible. Just like the feeling she had of them ending up together. Impossible.

_Roxanne felt her body sink deeper onto the sheets as she quivered underneath his frame. She wasn't cold. In fact, she was kept warm from the heat of his body as well as her own. The simple thought of giving herself up to him was making her weak, making her quiver and tremble. It felt like her first time all over again - her body filled with desire and impatience. Her pulses were pounding and her mind was turning away from reason. _

"_Are you sure you wanna do this?" he whispered into her ear. _

_She nodded and bit her lip, completely unable to speak. She was too trapped into her wishful thinking that she forgot all words. All she knew was that she wanted him, and she wanted him now. She no longer wanted to be in control of herself. She just wanted to experience this with him and everything that once seemed impossible. _

Roxanne shot up in bed, desperate to catch some breath she felt had been stolen in her sleep. She was panting, her eyes wide open, and her muscles frozen. She felt an arm wound around her as she sucked in some air to revitalize herself.

"Baby, are you alright?" John tried to mutter through his sleepy voice in order to soothe the shaken beauty beside him. He wrapped his arms around her, gently stroking her back.

"Oh God…" her voice came out in a long tremble sigh. She buried her face onto his shoulders, feeling him hold onto her tighter.

"You want me to turn on the light?"

"No." Instead, she drew herself closer, desperate to absorb the strength she felt in him.

"Bad dream, huh? Nightmare?"

She shook her head and it left him at a confused trance.

"It wasn't a nightmare, John. It was just…so real and I can't imagine doing it- doing that with- I just-"

Immediately, John's muscles went lax. He managed to let out a soft laugh. "Are you trying to say you had a dream of us having sex?"

She released herself from him before running a hand through her hair. "It was sex but definitely not with you."

John's eyebrows drew closer. "Well, aren't we glad that was just a dream."

"It was with my boss," she stated, sending a shiver through her spine. She couldn't believe that dream and saying it out loud didn't make it feel any more real.

"Are you sure that wasn't a nightmare?" John joked.

Roxanne sighed as she brought her head to rest against his shoulder. "It felt so real, though."

"It might have but this right here is what's real." John lulled her back into reality with a kiss.

She moaned against his touch, feeling her strength drawn out yet again, but in a different way. In a much realer way, one that only he seemed capable of doing.

"You wanna go back to sleep or…?" John began to ask, but she quickly shook her head then returned their lips together.

Despite their high tolerance with lack of sleep, they still were unable to fight it completely. A few hours in bed of lip to lip action, coupled with exchanged words and more stories, then the two were taken right into sleep. It was like a trap impossible to ignore, kind of like each other.

John woke up first and seeing who was curled up beside him drew an automatic smile to his face. He remembered last night, dismissing just the part about her dream, and it made him feel relaxed. If only every night and every morning were like this, he'd be the luckiest man on earth. He started to lay a finger on the pool of hair that draped over her cheek before his phone went off.

He cursed under his breath before he scooted over to answer it. He felt obliged to since hitting ignore would've been bad on his part and letting it continue to ring might've woken up Roxanne. He didn't allow his voice to come through the lines until he got himself into the master bathroom.

Roxanne shifted, faintly hearing a door shut. She kept her eyes closed until she heard a voice through the wall. It sounded like John was on the phone. She brought a hand to rub her forehead before she sat up, bringing the blanket to her shoulders. The voice from the bathroom started to grow and he didn't sound happy. She figured it was his wife on the other line and as a few more minutes passed, that thought was confirmed. Roxanne overheard John recite his wife's name a few times, out of frustration at her, but that was all of the conversation she could make out. By the time they hung up, Roxanne nearly dreaded to see his face. She hated the defeat that washed over him after every talk he had with Liz. She didn't deserve him and he didn't deserve her.

Roxanne watched as the door to the bathroom opened and out walked John. He had a look on his face that she couldn't have prepared for. It was well past defeat.

"What's wrong?" she asked him.

Silence passed through the room and she could feel him weaken with every tick of the clock. He only looked at her but without words and almost with no emotion. His eyes were icy, his mouth firm.

"What's wrong?" she repeated.

"She's pregnant."


	13. Phone Lines

**Chapter 13  
Disclaimer: **I don't own anyone from the WWE.

**Author's Notes:** Thanks xXParieceXx, Animal-Viper-Cena Fan, Sonib89, Felonxoxo, Lauren, Cena's baby doll, and BigRedMachineUK for your lovely reviews! Heads up, I've been experimenting with different writing styles and this chapter includes some jumping between scenes. I tried to make the transitions as smooth as possible. Lemme know if this style bothers you. I hope you all enjoy!

* * *

"You're pregnant?"

"Why does that sound so surprising to you?" Liz drew her eyebrows closer as she listened to the complete silence that passed through the phone lines. She'd been talking to Miz for five minutes, strictly for her husband's whereabouts, and when she got her desired info, she figured she owed him at least her latest news - her pregnancy.

"I'm not surprised because of it's possibility, don't get me wrong. I just- wow- I can't imagine Cena as a dad."

"You know, I can't either but listen, I gotta go. I'm about to uh- buy some baby books."

"Fair enough. I'll call you back if I get anything else."

"So you're sure he's back on the road with you, right?"

"Positive."

"Let me know if you find out where he was."

"I will."

"Alright, bye Mike."

"Bye Liz." Miz chuckled as he hung up the phone. The man of subject suddenly appeared in sight and he couldn't help but watch. John walked into the arena with a long face and big frown. He didn't look happy and Miz thrived on it. "Woke up on the wrong side of the bed, John?" he smiled as the words left his mouth.

John's face scrunched up in disgust, as he angrily brushed passed the other man, without saying a word. He went straight into his locker room and slammed the door shut. He was desperate to solidify himself within the four walls. He didn't want any damn company. He didn't want to speak to anyone. He didn't want anything unless that anything had something to do with Roxanne. But she was all the way across the country again and he had to find a way to manage. Boy did it look to be a hard fight.

What added to the already daunting situation, was a red eye flight, after the show, that'd take him straight to the last place he'd wish to be - home. His fingers trembled at the thought of seeing his wife - his newly pregnant wife.

Unfortunately, his mood didn't change even after the show. In fact, it got even worse. John found himself unwilling to board the plane but he forced himself to anyway. He figured he couldn't run away from Liz forever.

"BABY!"

John raised his eyebrows before drawing out a sigh. He reluctantly walked further into his house, mentally preparing himself. He scanned the place wearingly before his wife suddenly brought herself into his arms.

"We're having a baby!" she squealed.

John couldn't even fake a smile. The best he could do was slightly raise the corners of his lips, making out what looked to be a lousy grin.

"Aren't you excited?" she asked, pulling herself away, just enough to see his face. It was blank.

"Uh…"

She frowned.

"I-I uh…it hasn't hit me yet… so… I don't know what to think… honestly."

"Well, I've already highlighted possible names in a baby book. We're gonna turn your game room into a nursery. You're gonna have to take a lot of time off work. And-"

John brought a hand to his forehead before he completely released himself from Liz.

"What's wrong?"

"Liz, I'm tired. I cant really take anything right now."

"Alright," she nodded. "We'll talk tomorrow then."

John looked at her silently, allowing a good chunk of silence to pass, before he turned his heel and headed for the master bedroom alone. It surprised him how easy she let this go but he was too tired to ponder further at that thought.

Liz watched as her husband got further and further away. "Just keep doing what you're doing John," she whispered to herself. "You're about to be taught a lesson and you wont even see it coming."

John didn't hesitate to close the door behind him, creating a physical barricade between him and his wife. He went straight to bed and faced the wall. When his efforts to fall asleep weren't satisfied, he called Roxanne.

"John?"

"I need you."

"It's three in the morning over there, shouldn't you be sleeping?"

"I can't sleep, I can't relax, I can't do anything."

"Where's Liz?"

"I don't know. Around the house somewhere."

"Just don't think."

"I haven't been. I've withdrawn myself from thinking all day but it didn't change the way I feel. I'm telling you, I need you."

"Well, we can't do anything about that right now, John. Just close your eyes, pretend I'm sleeping next to you, hug a pillow if you have to."

"Rox, a pillow can't replace you."

"I didn't think it would but you need to get through tonight somehow. We'll hug pillows, talk on the phone until you fall asleep, and then it'll be a new day."

"A new day without you."

"John."

"I'm sorry. I'm just- really fucked up right now."

"Don't be sorry, John. Don't even be hard on yourself, either. Just close your eyes and talk to me. It'll be like I'm right next to you."

Sucking in a breath, John followed orders and within minutes, he was fast asleep. Roxanne kept the phone pressed against her ears until she heard movement through the lines. Thinking Liz had finally joined him in bed, she hung up the phone. She stared at the screen before it returned to complete blackness. Soon enough, her eyelids began to fall and she too was fast asleep.

A ringing, doubled as annoyance, filled through the room in the same way the sunlight did. Roxanne drew out her hands from under the blanket, desperate to terminate whatever was making the noise, but failed. She found herself forced into sitting up in order to find the damn device. While she was it, she glanced at the clock and noticed it was eight in the morning. Once she finally made contact with the noise-maker, her phone, the ringing stopped.

"Ugh." She threw her head back and groaned. Not another full second passed before the sound went off again. She answered it without hesitation. "Hello?"

"Hey, it's Dan."

Roxanne immediately sat up.

"Your boss."

"I-I know who this is. Um-"

"Are you feeling better? Is your tummy okay now?"

"Yeah."

"So you'll be coming into work today, right?"

"Yeah."

"Good. Oh and by the way, we're having a staff meeting later in the evening."

"Oh?"

"Yeah and a few of us usually head to a restaurant afterwards. You should join us."

"Maybe."

"Alright well, I'm gonna get back to work, I'll see you when you clock in."

"Bye."

Once Roxanne fully released the phone from her grip, a funny feeling washed over her. Her one word answers hadn't been on purpose but she was sure they hadn't gone undetected either. She couldn't even phantom thinking of her sex dream with her boss, so she didn't. She sighed before reaching for her phone to text John a good morning.

Another hour passed before she finally got out of bed and started getting ready for work. It already looked to be a long day and the drainage she'd heard from John's voice last night was becoming to mesh with her own thoughts. She missed him just as much as he missed her but luckily, she had the advantage of being able to deal with it better. However, that was starting to seem like a lie. The attachment that mounted for the past few days was starting to take a toll on her. All her life, the empty space beside her had been acceptable but it was now beginning to epitomize death.

That feeling only seemed to progress as the day went on and by five o'clock, she still hadn't heard back from John. She'd been lamely sitting on her work desk, doing things she said she wouldn't. To wait, and wait, and wait. For a damn text, from a damn guy. Even worse, her boundaries were starting to look unclear and the lines she'd kept awareness to was fading away. John Cena was responsible and she was afraid she'd officially lost all control. Her own heart no longer belonged to her. It was all his now.

She allowed a small, defeated breath to escape her lips. "Dammit, John." She tapped her fingers across the table, biting her lip as she eyed the phone. Desperation was starting to seep through and by now, she couldn't help but let it work her actions. She grabbed her cell and called John. She'd waited long enough to hear from him and it was time she took things back into her own hands.

The dial tone seemed to sound out slower than usual. A few seconds later, she'd succumb to expecting the voicemail but those expectations were not met. Definitely not. The lines connected and as she listened on, she found herself wishing it hadn't.

"Baby, stop that!" Roxanne heard that along with giggling that sounded like a mixture of male and female. Her heart dropped faster than she could hang up.

"Who was I kidding," she whispered. There was no way she could deny those voices were from Liz and John. A happy Liz and John. They seemed so happy they hadn't realized a call was coming and that one of them had unknowingly picked up.

A surge of emotions started clouding Roxanne's thought process and concentration became impossible to grasp. Realization, however, was not. Of course John wouldn't have replied to her morning text, he'd been busy being with his wife. She should've known. There was no rocket science there.

Coincidentally, there was no rocket science for John either.

From the moment he woke up, things at home suddenly felt lighter. Liz was being nice to him and for once, he'd agree that they were actually getting along. They'd spent the last few hours simply enjoying each other's company, at the comfort of their own home. Little snippets of baby talk were mixed in, which were easily diverted, but neither of them seemed to mind. For a long while, both had seemed to forgotten they were expecting a child.

John measured his current surroundings and it didn't take long for him to realize he felt nothing. Absolutely nothing. In one arm, he circled his wife. In another, he held an empty glass of water with some remains of ice. He shook the solids in it before he slowly got up from the couch.

"I'm gonna get more water, do you want anything?" he asked Liz.

She looked up at him silently and shook her head.

He gave her a small nod and just as he did, his eye caught a black casing wedged in between the couch covers. He pulled it out and realized it was his phone.

"Are you sure you don't want anything?" he asked again, cupping the phone into his palm.

Liz shook her head for a second time, which forced John to finally excuse himself. He set the glass down on the kitchen counter, his attention no where but on his phone. Particularly, the last call he had.

"Shit," he muttered behind his teeth. If technology wasn't mistaken, it appeared as though Roxanne had called an hour earlier and the lines connected. Panic stricken, he immediately called back Roxanne but got no answer. For some reason, he couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that he'd missed her call, but she hadn't missed an answer. God only knows what she might've heard. He went back to his call log and doubled check the last one. It had a duration of eight seconds.

"What could she have heard in eight seconds?" he asked himself. He let out another groan and when that didn't pacify him, he threw the phone back on the counter.

"What's wrong?" Liz asked, walking into the kitchen.

"I uh- I missed a call." He didn't bothering looking at her as he spoke.

"From who?"

"I uh- I think I have a flight tonight," he lied, completely dismissing her question. "There's this charity thing early morning tomorrow and I might have to be there."

"Might have to?"

"Yeah," he answered, finally turning to lock his eyes with hers. He figured it was safe to now, since the biggest lie had already been said.

"You hadn't even unpacked-"

"I know, I'm sorry."

"No. I'm saying, it should be easier for you now, since you're already packed."

John's shoulders relaxed and he nodded, still feeling nothing. Absolutely nothing. It humored him to see that everything he'd been wanting from Liz was being offered at a tenfold, when it didn't matter anymore. "Well, I think I'm gonna shower."

Liz only nodded as she watched him walk passed her. He kept walking and didn't bother looking back, something they'd gotten used to. He had one thing on his mind, and one thing only.

As soon as he got himself into the room, he called the airline services and booked a flight. He was headed to the first and only place he'd wish to be - Roxanne's arms. Before he got into the shower, he decided to call her back one more time. Unfortunately, he received the same outcome.

Persistence, however, forced him into calling one more time and when he got the voicemail yet again, he decided to use it's advantage. "Hey Rox, it's John. I uh- I'm sorry I didn't get to pick up earlier but I'll make it up to you tonight. I'll be there by eleven. I uh- have to tell you something. We have to talk, but don't worry about that until I get there. I hope you're having a good day. I still really miss you. And I'm rambling now so I should go. Alright…well…I miss you. I know I already said that but I really do miss you."

Roxanne walked out of the conference room and immediately took out her phone. It'd gone off the hook the last few minutes of the meeting and she now realized she had a new voicemail. Before she got the chance to listen, a cold hand landed on her shoulders and she jumped. "Oh my Gosh."

"I'm sorry, I-I didn't mean to scare you," Dan, her boss, apologized.

Roxanne shook her head and faked a smile. "Of course you didn't."

Dan placed both of his hands into his pockets then nodded at the device in her hand. Roxanne looked down on it too.

"What?" she asked.

"Well, first of all, you were supposed to silence your phone during the meeting."

"I'm- I'm sorry. I should've already known that."

"Yes you should have," he agreed. "So how about you make up for it by joining us to dinner."

"I don't-"

"Have a choice?"

Roxanne's lips were still parted and she felt her mouth begin to dry. The same funny feeling that'd gotten over her, in the morning, was making a return and she didn't know what to do. She shifted into her place uncomfortably.

Dan picked up on it and laughed. He casually placed an arm over her, walking them both towards the exit. "It's a nice restaurant. I'm sure you'll enjoy it. Just join us. I'm sure it beats eating alone tonight, right?"

Alone.

The man had a point.

Roxanne released herself from under his arm before she gave a small nod.

"Is that a yes?"

"It's an I guess."

"Good enough for me," Dan smiled. He pointed towards the group of people huddled near the exit, who seemed to be waiting on them. Roxanne reluctantly followed them and as soon as she got into the car, she managed to steal a text to John simply asking "What?"

"Did you listen to my voicemail?" he texted back.

In that voicemail John had mention he'd be there by eleven and it was now evident that he didn't lie. The clock read ten thirty when he officially walked into the premises of her home, but that home, proved to be empty. He knocked on the front door, the back door, and even the side door, and got nothing. He decided to go to the front porch where he'd be able to sit as well as spot her much sooner.

"More time to plan what I gotta say to you, I guess," he said to himself optimistically. He placed himself on the steps where the breeze lightly slapped his skin. The more he tried planning what to say, the more nervous he got, and the more nervous he got, the more he wished to see her later. He couldn't face her now. He imagined feeling like a little kid with a huge crush all over again. But this time was different. He was much more nervous. More nervous than he'd ever been in his life.

And with this, he laughed at himself. It was amazing how he feared absolutely nothing physically but this feeling he was having, this feeling he couldn't even understand, was making him equivalent to, or even less than, a petrified little boy. But he didn't mind. He didn't mind being anything for Roxanne. She was worth every bit of it.

That thought was confirmed the second he heard her voice again. His head shot up the very next second and he couldn't help but look around to see where it was coming from. When his position failed to provide the perfect view, he stood up, taking his phone with him. He looked at it for a second and realized it was now just past midnight. Damn. He'd spent the last hour and a half thinking of her, that he lost complete track of time.

He took a step forward as the tone of her voice continued to grow louder and when he did, he realized that wasn't the only voice coming towards him. There was someone else too and that someone else was a man.

Another man who casually had his arm around Roxanne.

* * *

**Ramble Fest:** Oh man. This chapter was a bitch to write! I'm still not satisfied with it but I did the best I could to showcase John and Roxanne's feelings. Hopefully it was somewhat successful. Did you guys notice how weird Liz and Dan were in this chapter? Hmm. Everyone's got some explaining to do! But damn, who else had fun hearing John Cena rap in the ring again? Please tell me I'm not the only one! He still got that 'swag', haha. I miss that him, the less predictable him, but then again, I miss a lot of what the WWE used to be. Now it's just...alright. Divas don't even mean shit anymore. Look at them tryna bring everything back though - Triple H, The Rock, Trish, 316, Taker, Cena and his rap (although these were/are probably temporary). It's still not the same. BUT I'm definitely not hatin on the WWE now and I'm definitely done rambling. Your thoughts, on this chapter, and the WWE? :)

_February 26, 2011_


	14. A Point

**Chapter 14  
Disclaimer:** I don't own anyone from the WWE.

**(March 4, 2011) Thanks:** xXParieceXx, Cena's baby doll, Animal-Cena-Viper Fan, Lauren, Happygolucky103, and Felonxoxo for your reviews. You guys make me smile :)

* * *

"Well, well, is this your boyfriend?" Dan asked. He slowly took his arm off Roxanne, and it was so slow, that it started to look a little sensual. He had a smirk on his face that the other two, John and Roxanne, would've gladly slapped out of his face. But of course, they couldn't do that. They couldn't even talk.

So, Dan spoke again, only this time, it was to John. "Are you her boyfriend?"

John opened his mouth to talk but Roxanne voiced out an answer before he did.

"No, he's not my boyfriend."

Dan shifted his view from John to Roxanne, then back to John. He laughed. "Well, that's a shame isn't it? Roxanne is quite the lovely lady."

John could only nod. He was trying to be careful with his words and when he found that impossible, he sought it best to say nothing at all. He already didn't like this guy and he didn't even know his name.

"Alright, well, I guess this is my stop," Dan said. He could feel the tension in the air and if he wasn't such a snob, he would've cared. But he didn't. In fact, it amused him to have such power. "I'll pick you up early in the morning, Roxanne."

"Yes," she nodded, instantly feeling John's eyes sharpen on her. She felt the need to explain and quick. "For work, since I left my car there."

"Yes, well, goodnight you two." Dan placed his hands into his pockets then disappeared from view. John and Roxanne didn't move or say a word until they heard the car start and leave.

Once it did, John finally spoke up, "I've been waiting here for almost two hours."

"Two hours?"

"Didn't you get my voicemail?"

"Yeah but I couldn't listen to it-"

"Because you've been too busy with that guy?"

"He's my boss."

John let out a long breath and shook his head. "Can we just go inside, please?"

Roxanne nodded and took the keys from her bag. She kept her lips sealed until the both of them were finally placed on her couch. "You're mad at me."

John only shrugged, keeping his line of vision straight ahead.

"I got in trouble because my phone rang during the meeting. So, he kept me away from it the whole night."

"And what exactly were you guys doing till twelve AM?" John angled his head to get a perfect view of her face. He wanted to hear this.

"Everyone went out to dinner and hung out. The company works and plays hard together. That type of thing. Kind of like you guys."

John didn't budge and the tension in his face didn't disappear.

"Are you upset because you waited for two hours or because I didn't text you back?"

"Neither."

"Then what's wrong?"

"Your boss, Roxanne. I don't like him."

"That's his personality. He's a rich man with an attitude to match. Aren't you used to people like that?"

"I am," John stated coolly.

"So can we please just let this go?" she asked, voice tinged with annoyance.

"I would, Roxanne," John started to say, and as he did, she began to get that shrinking feeling. He never said her name and this was already the second time tonight. He continued, "but as much as I'd like to believe that's how he is with everyone, I don't think he puts his arm around all his employees like he did with you."

Roxanne's eyes fell to the ground. He had a point.

And he wasn't done making them. "The way he talked to me, I could handle. But the way he was with you? Nah, that's unacceptable. He's your boss and he's putting his arm around you, keeping you out till midnight, driving you home, picking you up. That's not professional."

"Okay, you're right. That wasn't very professional of him but do you really have to be mad at me too? I didn't even do anything."

"Exactly. You didn't do anything to stop him. You can't keep letting people run your shit, Roxanne. I thought you would've learned that by now. Especially after Miz."

Roxanne sighed and threw her head back on the couch. He still had a point but the anger he brought with it wasn't helping. "I didn't think much of it, alright? I'm sorry."

John sighed, realizing he did more than make a point. He saw the defeat in her eyes and he knew he had to stop. He was starting to hurt her now and that certainly wasn't part of the plan. "Rox."

She silently turned to look at him.

"Tell him not to pick you up tomorrow, I'll drop you off," he said, in a much softer tone, with a much softer face.

She nodded. "I'm sorry about tonight."

"It's okay." He grabbed her hand and the instant their skin touched, both their bodies completely went lax. It felt like a surge of water after a long drought. Like a meal after fasting for weeks.

Roxanne brought her other hand to his cheek and started massaging it. As soon as she did, John automatically grew a smile and she couldn't help but smile back.

"Your boss was right about one thing," he commented. "You're quite the lovely lady."

She shook her head and giggled. "Shut up."

"It's true." He smiled brighter but the sight of it disappeared as he brought his lips to hers. Boy did that do the job. Every worry went away and all they were left with was each other.

John felt her get weak as his lips continued to work on hers. She was beginning to loose her breath, in the exact same way he was, but they didn't care. They didn't care to breathe. The taste of their kiss both tempted and tormented. Neither of them could believe it's power even after experiencing it for so many times now. Each one felt like their first and they just kept getting better and better.

"Mmm," Roxanne moaned. She felt John lower his body onto her, making them press deeper against the cushions. He worked his hands from her neck, to her waist, then all the way down to her thigh. He tamed his strength to gently wrap her leg around his lower back. As the intensity in their kisses grew, their control began to fade away.

John levered himself back up to ask, "are you sure you're comfortable here?"

Roxanne bit her lip and battled her mind for an answer. If she said no, she knew where they would've ended up and her body would've gladly thanked her. However, her mind pushed her into nodding her head.

"Are you sure? I think we'll be more comfortable in bed."

Roxanne could only shake her head. It took every once of strength for her to resist but she knew she had to. They couldn't allow themselves to get that comfortable.

John looked at her wonderingly and as much as he wanted to meet her lips again, he knew her mind was running. And fast. "Are you okay?"

She only nodded.

"Baby, let's just go to your room. You'll be more comfortable there."

"No," she shook her head and pouted childishly.

John got up and took her hand. "We'll just cuddle, come on."

Roxanne felt him tug her hand harder and when she realized they were on the same page - both wanting and willing, but unable, to go further - she finally gave in. She shuffled her feet as they made their way into her room, hands interlaced with his. She felt his pulses pumping hard.

John made sure to kiss her temple as soon as they were settled on her bed. He then wrapped his arm securely around her, feeling as if the entire universe was in his possession.

She cupped her hand onto a part of his arm, using her thumb to stroke his veins and the curves of his muscles. She stayed with this action until she felt herself slowly give into to sleep. As soon as she did, John tightened his grip and kissed her forehead once more. He kept his lips in that same proximity and smiled, then he finally felt ready to sleep.

* * *

Liz was carelessly stacking her newly purchased books before her phone started ringing. As she moved over to answer it, she knocked off a few books which quickly became victim to gravity. She tried picking it up and as she did, she realized it had fallen right on top of something else.

"Fuck," she cursed. She grabbed the crushed item and brought it up for examination. The box was severely bent and as she pulled out what was inside, she realized that too was harmed. It was an ovulation test kit.

"I haven't even used it," she groaned, allowing her anger to ignore the ringing phone. She threw the box into the trash and brought herself into the living room. The place felt emptier than usual but her mind was filling up with fury. She dragged her fingernails, back and forth, against the arm rest of the couch, but that didn't help.

A minute later, her doorbell rang and she hissed as she got up to answer it. In front of her was her best friend of twenty years, Karen.

"Thanks for ignoring my call."

Liz rolled her eyes as she shut the door behind them. "I'm not having a good time right now, excuse me."

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know anything anymore."

Karen sat them on the couch and asked, "well, start with what you do know. Tell me."

"John's been more distant. He doesn't visit me as much as he used to. He's different. So, I've been acting different."

"Well, have you asked him why?"

"No but I didn't think I'd have to since I'm supposed to be pregnant-"

"Wait, what? What do you mean you're supposed to be pregnant?"

"Well," Liz struggled to get out the answer. "I uh…I told John I was pregnant."

"Are you?"

"No but I will be. I had an ovulation test to help but it broke. I can still do without it though. Besides, I stopped taking birth control."

Karen blinked. "Honey, I don't think you're getting pregnant for the right reasons."

"Do I have to? I mean, unexpected pregnancies happen all the time. Besides, me and John are married so what's the big deal?"

"Exactly. You guys are married so that decision should be made together. Having a baby is one of the most, if not the most, important thing that'll ever happen in your life. Don't have one out of spite." While Liz allowed this to marinate in her mind, Karen went on. "Besides, what if he finds out about this? Wouldn't that make him even more distant?"

Liz further pondered at the words she just heard. She had a point.

"It'd be unfair to try and fix your problems by bringing a baby into it. Because that's all it is, bringing a baby in the middle of everything."

"But I already told him I was pregnant."

"Take it back. Say it was a false alarm. Or you could just tell him the truth."

"I don't know."

"Your plan could very well backfire, Liz. Think about it more carefully."

* * *

Roxanne watched closely, and silently, as John focused in on making dinner. He hadn't said a word since he started and his tenaciousness was a pleasure to watch. Her eyes feasted, as did her nose and tongue, when he got closer to finish. "Mm, smells great," she couldn't help but say.

John only glanced at her with a smile, then went right back to cooking. He was making his parmesan boneless chicken with vegetable stir fry. He'd gotten the recipe from his mom since he was used to cooking something more for it's nutritional value, rather than for taste. That was definitely not what he was after tonight. Not when he had Roxanne to please.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, halfway into dinner.

John looked up from his plate, which was nearly empty now, then looked down at hers. It was already half gone. "You don't like it?"

Roxanne shook her head and smiled. "No, John, I love it. I was talking about something else."

John picked up the last remains on his plate, before he pushed it away from him. He finished chewing before he turned all his attention on her. "What is it?"

"I'm sorry for making you wait so much. I know I've been gone more than half the time since you got here."

John shrugged. "That's not your fault, so it's not your job to apologize."

"I still feel bad."

He shrugged again. "It's fine. I was busy preparing for this dinner while you were at work anyway."

"So you waited for me _and_ made me dinner?"

John leaned in closer and said, "just seeing you smile makes all of it worth it."

An automatic smile formed Roxanne's lips and she could feel her heart fluttering. He did it again. That thing. He made her feel things she never had before and it's unfamiliarity sent her into a pit of silence. She was speechless and all she could do was smile. She felt ridiculous. She never knew it was possible to feel this happy and so this new discovery had her feeling afloat.

"So, what do you wanna do now?" John asked as he wiped his hands dry. He had placed Roxanne on the counter next to the sink, while he washed dishes, and now that he was done, he stood before her.

She shrugged, deepening the stare they exchanged.

"I don't wanna sleep tonight," he said softly.

"Then we wont," she smiled.

Eight hours later, John found himself smiling as he watched Roxanne slowly close her eyes. She'd been struggling to stay awake for an hour and finding her unable to resist was the cutest thing; especially when she was curled up right next to him, inhaling and exhaling against his chest. He continued to enjoy this moment until a phone went off. A disturbance.

John made a grunt while trying to move as little as possible. He eyed the nightstands for any ringing phone but saw none. Not a second after, Roxanne began to stir and she woke back up.

"Baby, just go back to sleep," John whispered, lightly massaging her scalp.

She moaned against his shirt. "Who's calling?"

"Don't worry about it," he said and the ringing stopped. Then it went off again and John groaned.

"Mm, where's the phone?" Roxanne mumbled. "It might be important."

Sighing, John used his free hand to search for the ringing device. It took some effort and once he found it, he defined that effort as a total waste. He made a sour face at seeing the name that appeared on the screen.

"Who is it?" Roxanne asked, eyes closed again.

It was Liz and John made sure not to let Roxanne worry about it. "It's not important, baby. Let's just go back to sleep."

"No," she mumbled, tightening her hold on him. "You said you didn't wanna sleep tonight."

"Well, I said night and it's morning now-"

"Which means," Roxanne grabbed his hand. "It's time for us to get up."

John loosely allowed her to pull him up from the bed and smiled. He could see the tiredness in her face but her eyes, that were so inviting, kept his attention. He knew she needed to sleep, and he knew he should've made her. However, he found her need for him to be much greater. Just like his need to focus on her, rather than on anything, or anyone, else.

For right now, he had chosen Roxanne and Roxanne had chosen him. He was still trying to figure if it indeed was just for now, or forever.


	15. Show and Tell

**Chapter 15**  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own anyone from the WWE.

**Thanks:** Felonxoxo, Sonib89, BigRedMachineUK, Lauren, Cena's baby doll, xXParieceXx, and Animal-Viper-Cena Fan! You guys are amazing. Enjoy!

* * *

"How long has this been going on?" John asked flatly. Although his voice didn't indicate he was angry, his facial expression sure did. He was placed in his living room with his wife but she wasn't looking at him anymore. Instead, she was stiffened and silent.

"How long, Liz?"

She cleared her throat. "A week?"

"Why didn't you tell me about it sooner?"

"It didn't cross my mind to," she excused but John wasn't satisfied. He got up from the couch and brought a hand to run through his short brown hair.

"What'd that bastard say?" John asked as he referred to Miz. He'd gotten home and found calls from him to his wife. He wanted a full explanation now.

Unfortunately, that didn't look to come easy. His wife stayed mute and still.

"Liz!" John called out in frustration. He allowed both his arms to fall with great force and his demeanor startled her. She'd never seen him so mad before, not even in the ring. Sure, he'd had his blood boiling many times, a plethora of them caught on tape, but none compared to this. This was too personal.

"I-I-uh-" she fumbled through her words.

"How the hell did he even contact you?"

"I don't know!" she cried out. Her face was hot now and she couldn't figure out if it was from her heart racing or the tears that were trickling down her cheeks. Her vision began to blur but she still managed to notice the greater distance John made between them. His face was hard to read but there was definitely no sympathy there. She'd have to scheme a way for that.

John let out a shaky breath. His hands were trembling and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop his mind from running a million different directions.

"Why are you so mad anyway?" Liz asked as soon as she gathered herself. She was ready now, the guilt put aside. John didn't know she was a willing participant in talking to Miz and he didn't have to. Definitely not.

"He's been talking to you behind my back. Isn't that enough reason for me to be mad?" Of course, on top of that, Miz had abused the woman he deeply cared for. Liz didn't know that and she didn't have to. Definitely not.

"So what do you want me to do John?"

"Tell me what the fuck is going on with you two."

"Nothing!"

"Then why didn't you tell me about this sooner? If I hadn't seen it for myself, when would I have found out, Liz? Tell me that."

"It didn't cross my mind to tell you, John. It wasn't a big deal to me. What's wrong with him calling me anyway? I'm not doing anything wrong."

John opened his mouth to talk but found no words fit for a good answer. Of course, in a simpler world, nothing would've been wrong with a few phone calls. But these phone calls were from Miz and John had his underlying reasons for lashing out. Out of all people, Miz was now involved with his wife. That couldn't possibly mean any good. John couldn't even bring himself to ponder of what exact words were exchanged. Or information, for that matter.

He wasn't so concerned with another man talking to his wife but having that other man be Miz made the difference.

"Besides, you act like I've had time to tell you. You're barely ever home anymore, you don't answer my calls, and you never even ask about how I'm doing. How did you expect me to tell you these things, John?"

There. The guilt trip had sailed and it was starting to seep through to John. The tears that were falling from his wife's face only heightened that guilt and he bought it.

Silence.

John's face began to soften and Liz quickly picked up on his sympathy. Just like always, she worked that to her advantage. She allowed more tears to fall as John made his way back to her. It took a second for him to do anything more, but once he did, once he wrapped his arms around her, she let her body collapse and it felt good. It'd been awhile since he'd held her like that.

Liz sobbed harder.

"Shh, it's okay." John brushed a hand down her hair and as he did, he couldn't help but notice how much of a rock he felt. He didn't know what to do with his wife but that was a question he recently stopped asking himself.

She pushed herself away and sniffled. John could only watch as she locked her eyes on him and said, "I miss my husband."

John felt his words get stuck in his throat, but Liz didn't wait much longer for him to speak before she kissed him. John's eyes stayed open as his senses began to shut down. He thought he couldn't feel anything before but this was a whole new level. He was numb in more ways than one.

He watched as she pulled away from the kiss to ask, "what's happened to us, John?"

His eyes were cold. His hands were cold. His whole body was cold, including his heart. Still, he managed to give her a little shrug.

Liz drew her eyebrows closer when she didn't get a verbal answer. Instead of asking again, she took John's hands and led him into their bedroom where she laid him down. It didn't take long for her to meet his lips for the second time.

Although he wanted to, John didn't give his wife much resistance. He felt like a robot. Maybe his guilt worked his actions or maybe he regressed back into that submissive man she made him to be. Either way, John went along with it and closed his eyes. He withdrew himself completely, mentally and emotionally, once he felt her begin to unzip his shorts.

Maybe, just maybe, it'd go by quick.

But rather than thinking of time, John found himself thinking of Roxanne instead.

* * *

_She's pregnant._

Roxanne felt herself shake as she replayed that morning in her head.

How did she manage to keep herself in great ignorance these past few days? She dismissed the news of this other woman's pregnancy completely and she wasn't quite sure why. Maybe it was because John, too, acted as if it weren't happening. Or maybe she'd just been too busy making out with him.

Either way, Roxanne knew this had to stop. Whatever was going on with them wasn't as important as this baby on the way. She just didn't know how to tell John that. Or herself, for that matter.

Roxanne let out a weary breath as these thoughts kept hammering away. She was home and alone now. Work with her boss had been awkward that day but this silence she was experiencing now, proved to be much worse. She could hear herself think but luckily, she had an interruption.

She glanced over at her phone as it vibrated against the kitchen counter. She was almost hesitant to check the caller but once she finally did, her finger automatically clicked on answer.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Rox."

Hearing his voice, John's voice, instantly got her weak. Her heart was racing and the negative thoughts began to fade away.

"Baby, are you there?"

She got even weaker. "Yeah…yeah…I'm here."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah."

"Don't lie to me. What are you thinking about?"

"You," she answered honestly and after hearing no response, she concluded he'd been caught off guard and was smiling now.

"Aw well, I miss you too."

"I never even said _I _missed you."

"But we both already know you do."

It was Roxanne's turn to smile now. "Well, I can't deny that."

"Oh, someone's not as mean to me today."

"Oh yeah? Well, don't get used to it."

After letting out a chuckle, John abruptly changed the subject. "I have something to tell you."

Roxanne cleared her throat. "I have something to tell you too."

"What is it?" John asked alerted. He hadn't expected her to throw it back to him.

"I um- I'd rather not talk about it over the phone but try not to worry about it right now."

"Well, I actually just got into my hotel room. I have a show tomorrow so I should be there tomorrow night."

"Okay, we'll just talk then. Alright?"

Silence.

"John?"

"Yeah, baby?"

"I said we'll just talk tomorrow night."

"Nah."

"Nah. What do you mean 'nah'?"

"I don't wanna hang up yet."

Silence.

Roxanne would've been lying if she said she wanted to hang up. With that put aside, she knew it'd only make the talk for tomorrow a lot harder. "Don't worry, we wont." But apparently, she didn't care.

John smiled. "Are you laying down right now?"

"No, not yet."

"You should. I want you to be as comfortable as you could possibly be when you talk to me."

Roxanne smiled. Who was he kidding. She was talking to him and that enough had her comfortable as she could possibly be. Still, she obeyed his orders and brought herself to bed. Although the night was looking to be a long one, at least she wasn't completely alone.

* * *

"He found out about us."

"What do you mean he found out about us?" Miz had an alerted aura to his voice and Liz couldn't blame him. It was early in the morning and this wasn't exactly the best news to wake up to.

Liz brought the phone to her other ear before she explained, "well, he found out about you. He saw the calls on my phone."

"Then what?"

"He was mad but he doesn't know what's going on, other than the fact that we've been talking."

"How does he even know it was me?"

"Because that's what I put as your name on my contacts."

"Well, I'm gonna deny everything. I can't be the only Miz in the world."

Liz sighed. She didn't like the idea of him being able to get away with this, meanwhile she couldn't just brush it off with John. But who was she kidding. She already got away with it, just like she got away with everything. "Well, I just wanted to give you a heads up."

"I appreciate it but I'll be fine," he paused. "Because I'm awesome."

Liz rolled her eyes. He sounded just as ridiculous as he did on TV. "Uh huh. Well, I'm gonna go now. Just call me if anything."

"Alright, bye Liz."

Miz hung up and immediately threw his phone on the bed. The confidence he had was beginning to fade and the thought of seeing John shook him up. He was guilty and he knew John wouldn't change his mind about that, no matter what he said.

It wasn't John who had someone after him anymore. Miz knew he'd have to watch his back from now on.

* * *

Restless and tired, John allowed himself a quick nap as the cab took him from the airport and to his favorite place in the entire world. Roxanne's house. It took awhile for the driver to wake him when they finally reached the destination. However, once he did, the excitement in John was quick to succumb him.

He quickly paid the driver then brought himself to ring her doorbell. The next two seconds felt like the longest that ever passed but as soon as Roxanne opened her door, he knew every bit of the wait was worth it.

John stepped inside and immediately kissed her.

Neither of them were allowed any time to prepare but that definitely didn't take away from anything. Their hearts began to drum and they couldn't stop it. They'd never kissed like this before, never like this, so slow and so deep. They went into a deep exploration of each other's mouths as if they'd be content with that, only that, for hours. They began to lose control and for the first time, they were willing to let that be.

Roxanne wrapped her hands around his neck as he slowly led them towards her bedroom. Once they thrashed over her bed, John immediately pulled off her night gown. He'd never felt more alive, or more desperate. He had this sense of urgency that was he was ready to satisfy, here with her. With only her and with all of her. He had her now. And he was more than ready to show her that she had him too.

* * *

**Author's Note:** John and Roxanne! Oweeee. What do you guys think? I have to say, writing has been a little hard for me lately. My eloquence and vision for this is out of whack. So, I really appreciate all the readers that are still here, especially those who take the time to review. Thank you guys again!

_March 13, 2011._


	16. Unsettled

**Chapter 16**  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own anyone from the WWE.

**Thanks:** Lauren, Felonxoxo, Sonib89, Cena's baby doll, xXParieceXx, and Animal-Viper-Cena Fan! You guys' consistent support is very much appreciated. Like I said, my eloquence is out of whack, but luckily, my vision for this has been a little clearer. Enjoy!

* * *

Roxanne woke up with the corners of her lips perked up. She must've had a great night to already be smiling, she thought. Ready for this to be confirmed, she rolled over, expecting her achy body to solidly bump into someone else's. John's to be exact.

But no one was there. She sprawled her hands around the bed, desperate to feel flesh, but all she got were tangled up sheets. Was last night just a dream? She sat up and noticed her nightgown was still fitted perfectly on her. Damn. Maybe last night was just a dream.

Still wondering, she laid there with her state of high slowly abating. She didn't even want to get up anymore. All she wanted to do was to stay in bed to maybe, just maybe, get a grasp of what did happen last night. Or if it were a just dream, to know what happened in that dream. Whatever it was, she knew it was amazing. She felt it all the way down to her finger tips and she wanted nothing more than to immerse herself fully in that thought.

"Good morning baby."

She'd been too busy thinking that she missed to hear the door open up. It took awhile for the voice to register in her mind, but once it finally did, she smiled. "Good morning."

The same smile appeared on John's face the instant he received her response. All morning, he'd been wanting to hear her voice, to kiss her lips, and to look into her eyes. But before all that, he figured it'd be nice to prepare breakfast. He settled that down on the nightstand right before he joined her back in bed.

Roxanne automatically drew herself closer to him. "I had this amazing dream last night."

"Oh?" John smiled. "What were we doing exactly?"

She laughed. "What makes you think it was of you and me?"

John hovered his body over her while sliding his thumb to tuck some hair behind her ear. "Well, you said it was amazing. And after what we did last night, I cant imagine you dreaming about anything else."

Roxanne raised her eyebrows. So last night wasn't a dream, but she decided to continue toying with the idea. "What we did last night?"

"Yeah." John kissed her. Then he kissed her again. "Do you want me to remind you?"

She bit her lip, desperate to hide back a smile. "The food's gonna get cold."

"That's alright. I'd rather keep you warm," John grinned.

She looked at him as he slowly began to pull up her nightgown, just like he'd done last night. She remembered it now, so vividly, like it was just a few seconds ago. However, she soon realized she wouldn't have to rely on memory for a playback of the experience.

John was already at work for an actual encore.

* * *

Roxanne decided to ditch her late night comedy show for the night. She'd just gotten home from another day at work and right when her phone went off, she knew exactly how the rest of her night would go. It wasn't even a question anymore. It was routine and one that she wouldn't mind keeping.

"Hey baby, I miss you."

She smiled as she clutched onto the phone tighter. "I miss you too, John. How was the house show?"

"It was good, the crowd was fudgin insane for a small one. But I kept thinking about you."

"Wow. So, you were thinking about me while you were beating the crap out of your opponent? Okay."

"Well, we did go pretty rough on each other the last time so you know… you can't really blame me right? Besides, I'm sure you've been thinking about me too."

Roxanne rolled her eyes. "Nope, not at my work."

John chuckled. "Lies. How was it today, anyway?"

"Same old, same old. There's a potluck tomorrow but I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"I don't know what I should bring or if I should even join in that."

"Do you even have a choice?"

"Well I can leave- or-" Roxanne paused when she heard something other than her voice. It was a beeping from the other line. "Baby, let me call you back, Eve's calling right now."

"Wait, did you just call me baby?"

Roxanne smiled. She did. "Oh did I? Wow, I am off today."

"If that's what you call off then I've been off a long time ago. But I definitely don't mind."

Roxanne laughed. He'd always been the sweet talker between the two. "I'll call you back okay?"

"Alright baby. Tell her I said hi."

"Alright." Roxanne switched over to the other line. She didn't even get a chance to take another breath before she heard a voice.

"Roxy, I'm getting married!"

Another smile formed Roxanne's lips. She knew just how long Eve had been waiting for this and it was finally happening. "Wow, congratulations!"

"Thanks. And we're still trying to decide if we want the wedding to be sooner or later. I mean, we're ready to be husband and wife already, so why wait you know? We don't really want anything too big. But we understand loved ones would probably like that better."

"Either way, I'm sure it'd be the perfect day. Don't stress too much about it, just go for what feels right."

"Yes of course, I'll let you know when we figure that out."

"Sounds good. You guys have a great night."

"You too, Roxy! Bye."

"Bye." Roxanne hung up. Although she was very happy for her friend, she started thinking about her own situation. Unlike Eve, she was still waiting. And unlike Eve, she wasn't exactly sure what she was waiting for. There was just something not quite right, something not quite settled. She began to get engulfed into these thoughts and forgot she had to call John back.

An hour passed and she was slowly taken into sleep. Just as she was about to reach a deeper level, her phone off.

"Fuck," she cursed. She sat up and picked up the phone. "Baby, I'm so sorry."

"Did you fall asleep?" John asked with a sleepy tone of his own. It was obvious he'd been waiting for her to call back.

"Yeah, I kinda did. I'm really, really sorry."

"Baby, it's okay. At least I'm on the line with you now," he placated. "Do you wanna sleep?"

"No, we can talk if you want to."

"I always do but I don't wanna keep you up either."

"It's fine," she assured him. "We'll talk."

"Alright but don't feel like you have to fight your sleep, okay?"

"You too," Roxanne said, as she laid herself back down. She couldn't believe she hadn't done this an hour earlier. It would've saved her sixty minutes of torture she couldn't ever take back. Talking to John had always given her the best feeling and she was glad she'd have an indefinite amount tonight.

* * *

John rounded the corner and realized someone else was in his path. That same someone, however, decided to turn another corner as soon as they caught sight of him.

It didn't take long for John to realize who it was and what they were up to. It was Miz and he was trying to avoid confrontation. John, however, had other plans. He walked faster then saw him try to slip into some room. Luckily, he was able to push the door open before Miz closed it.

"Hey, what the fuck!" Miz cursed.

"Whoa, whoa, Miz. No needa get your balls wrapped up in a bunch. I just need to know a few things."

The other man clenched his jaw and waited for question.

"First off, out of all people you could be calling, why my wife?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

John let out an easy laugh. "Man, that's the oldest line in the book. I'm offended, do you really think I'm that stupid?"

Miz backed up when he saw John getting closer. He didn't know what to say anymore. The guilt and fear made a lethal combination and had him speechless.

"Answer my question, I don't want any of that bullshit."

Miz tightened his jaw. He stared at John then noticed his patience, knowing just how well he can work that to his advantage.

"Well, uh…" Miz began.

* * *

Roxanne gladly excused herself, halfway into the potluck, after receiving a call from John. He'd told her he'd be back at her place by midnight. All day she'd been trying to find reasons to leave and now she finally had one. She was almost to her car when she began to hear footsteps other than her own. She kept walking and tried to ignore it, but that became impossible when she felt a cold hand grab her arm.

"Hey you, where-where are you going?" Dan asked.

Roxanne scrunched up her face when she got a full woof of his breath. It reeked with alcohol. "Are you drunk?"

"No," he denied. If he was trying to come off as an unprofessional to Roxanne, he'd done a good job. This was the second strike.

"Um-" She wasn't quite sure what to do or say. She just stared at him, possibly for a second too long, and before she realized what was happening. Dan had planted a kiss on her and when her brain finally registered, she pushed him back.

"What are you doing?" she gasped.

He shrugged, seeming not the least bit apologetic.

"You shouldn't have done that."

He only shrugged again.

"Listen," Roxanne put up her hands to keep their distance. She knew this wasn't headed anywhere good so she planted her exit. "I'm gonna go home now and we'll just pretend that never happened."

Dan dragged his feet across the pavement. He placed his hands into his pockets and looked up at her.

When Roxanne didn't receive any verbal response, she was left with no choice but to walk away. She got into her car and sped off, unsure of what to do.

She just went home then waited.

Unfortunately, her comedy shows didn't help pass time and neither did making food. She was enslaved into her thoughts, just like she'd been for the past few days, and it was starting to take it's toll on her. Her boss was one problem but that certainly didn't compare to the one she had with John.

She'd been feeling like she was fighting a loosing battle. Not only was she sharing him with his wife, but she was now sharing him with a baby too. He had a growing family, while she, on the other hand, never really knew one.

Despite the fact that she'd have him tonight, she very well knew he could leave tomorrow. He'd be gone, just like that. The ring on his finger did wonders at reminding her of that but she'd always chosen to ignore it. Now she couldn't.

Not even when he was right there, right next to her, with his arms securely placed around her waist.

"Baby, are you okay?" He lifted up her chin up with a finger.

She meekly nodded.

"Are you sure? You haven't said much since I got here."

She shrugged. "You've only been here for a few minutes."

"Yeah and that gave me enough time to know something isn't right with you. What's going on?"

She bit her lip and debated on which answer she'd be willing to cop out. The easy or the hard one. "Dan kissed me."

Although she thought she had picked easy, the look on John's face showed otherwise. The color of his skin turned pale and his eyes got cold. "Wha- how-"

Roxanne sighed. "I was heading home, he stopped me, and then he did it."

Sighing, John slowly released his arm from her. "I have a big problem with that."

"I know."

"No, Roxanne, you don't, because you let shit happen again."

"How is this suddenly my fault?"

"Because you let people do shit like that to you. How do you think Miz was able to go that far?"

"So you're gonna blame what he did on me, too?"

John stood up and brought a hand to his forehead.

"I know what he did was wrong but you're making it a bigger deal than it actually is. My boss kissed me, alright. A married man did too."

As soon as she finished her sentence, John felt the pit of his stomach turn. He couldn't even utter a response and that scorching feeling only heightened as he watched Roxanne get up from her seat.

"Look, it's been a long day, probably for the both of us. I'd rather not fight with you, John, so I'm just gonna go to bed."

John tried to swallow the lump in his throat but he found that it only grew. He stood there, nearly lifeless, as he watched Roxanne walk away. His knees began to give in so he was forced to sit back down. It was obvious what had been troubling her and not knowing how to fix it, troubled him. He placed both hands over his head as he leaned forward. He let out a tired breath when he realized just how lonely and long this night was going to be.

* * *

John woke up to a faint noise of fussing in the room. He looked around, noticed he had fallen asleep on the couch, and that the sun was barely up. It must've been no later than eight in the morning, but there was Roxanne, looking dressed and distressed.

"Baby.." he managed to mutter out.

She looked at him for a second, before walking towards the light switch. She flipped it open, causing John to squint at the light's harshness. Still, he found himself watching her as she walked around the room, as if in search for something. He tried to get another word in, "baby."

"Have you seen my pocket watch?"

John raised his eyebrows.

She lightly pushed him to the side, as she searched through the crevices of the couch. "I can't find it."

"Baby, it's early in the morning, don't worry about it right now."

She checked one last section of the couch before she sighed and gave up. "I guess."

John locked his eyes with hers. "How was your sleep?"

She shrugged. "I've had better ones."

"You going to work now?"

"Yeah. When do you have to fly back for a show?"

John let out a tired breath. "I'm not sure, the earliest would probably be tonight."

"So I might not even see you later?"

He slowly nodded.

Then, she did too. She began to head for the bathroom before she felt a pair of arms wrap around her.

"Baby."

She was weakened by his touch, and so much so, that she didn't know what to say.

"Baby," he repeated.

"Yeah?"

"I don't ever want last night to happen again."

Her eyes pierced deeper into him.

"We shouldn't go to sleep like that, ever. It just leaves me unsettled in this nasty way. I'd rather have us okay before we close our eyes for the night."

Roxanne still didn't know what to say. Instead of talking, she lightly cupped his cheeks before bringing her lips to capture his. It wasn't hard nor soft, but it was enough to let her forget all of last night, even for just a few seconds.

John willingly deepened the kiss, knowing that having this, would be the only way it'd get him through the rest of the day. He kissed her once more and then again. Finally, he opened his eyes and saw her staring back at him. He formed a smile and it felt like a complete release. He knew there were still many things left unsettled but having her right now eliminated his worries. He felt good again. And that's all it took.

She was all it took.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Anyone notice the slight change in Roxanne? If you didn't, you just might in the next chapter. Or not. Haha! I hope you guys enjoyed this one.

_March 20, 2011._


	17. Unfair

**Chapter 17**  
**Disclaimer:** I dont own anyone from the WWE.

**Author's Notes: **Thanks to those who have put this story on alert and/or their favorites. Special thanks to Sonib89, Felonxoxo, Lauren, xXtreme Beautyx, xXParieceXx, and Cena's baby doll for your reviews. I hope you all continue to enjoy the coming chapters. This particular one still isn't up to par as I would like but it's an update right? Hopefully I can get back on the better roll of things. And quick! Enough with this useless babble though, enjoy everyone :)

* * *

Roxanne immersed herself into work without relenting and so far, it was going well. She managed to keep her troubled thoughts to a minimal, which easily made up for her lack of sleep. It was almost time for break and each minute that passed seemed to get faster and faster. Her pace was efficient and she would've kept working until someone knocked at her door.

"Roxanne, someone's here to see you," the receptionist informed.

Roxanne got up from her desk and went without thinking. She had no idea who it could be and she didn't bother trying to start a guessing game. She reached the lobby and noted there were several visitors, none whom she recognized. She kept looking around until finally, she came across one familiar face.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, as she brought herself closer.

John smiled as he easily pulled them into a full embrace. "I wanted to see you, one more time, before I left."

Upon hearing those words, or even just his voice, Roxanne allowed her body to loosen up against his frame. She'd been trying all day to stay strong and having him here provided her a chance to be real. Even if it was just for a few seconds. She clutched onto him tighter and let out an easy breath.

"I wanted to bring you this too." John pulled out her phone from his pockets.

"Oh my gosh, I keep losing things today," she gasped, as she took the device from his hands.

John ran a hand down her hair and settled it right below the back of her head. He planted a kiss on her temple and said, "well there you go."

She nodded. "Thanks."

"Oh and uh, Eve called. She said she's getting married this Saturday."

Roxanne's eyes widened. "This- this Saturday? You mean, three days from now?"

He chuckled before nodding his head. He was just as speechless as she was.

"Wow."

The two stared at each other in great silence before John leaned forward to kiss her. However, she blocked him before their lips made contact. He was both blindsided and rejected. "Wha-"

"Not here," she explained.

John frowned. "Why not?"

"We're in public."

"Ah, public property owned by your boss," he noted. "Where is he anyway?"

"I'm sorry, I don't keep tabs on his location."

"Well, maybe you should. You can be more careful that way," John flashed a toothy grin. That lip formation fell as soon as he realized he'd come off more serious than he intended.

Roxanne rolled her eyes. "John, please don't start this. I told you, I don't wanna fight with you-"

"Relax, baby, relax," he ordered, placing both hands over her shoulders. He leaned forward again but this time it was to simply get closer. "We're not gonna fight, I just wanna know where he is."

"Why?"

"Just in case I need to talk to him."

"Talk to him about what?" she asked, but she didn't even let him answer. "John, there's nothing you have to talk to my boss about."

"Not if you did so in the first place."

Roxanne backed up and her eyes pierced right through him like daggers. "Are we back to blaming this on me?"

"No."

"Why are you still making such a big deal about this?" she asked, crossing her arms.

John pursed his lips and widened his eyes. He was after some comic relief but found that this topic was too serious. She was too serious. He let out a long sigh before he said, "honestly," he paused and looked around. It'd come apparent to him that they weren't the only people in the room and realizing that made him unable to continue.

Roxanne just stared at him. "Well?"

"I got jealous," he whispered, leaning even closer to her. "I got jealous, alright? That's why I kinda blew things out of proportion last night. I realize I shouldn't have, but I did because it was the easiest way for me to let it out. And I'm sorry. Alright?"

Roxanne smirked. "Jealous."

"Out of everything I said, that's all you got?"

"It was just a kiss."

"Yeah but the idea of another man doing that to you…" John began to imagine and it had him cringe.

"And how about the idea of you and your wedding ring? How do you think that makes me feel?"

He sighed. He knew he was being unfair. He'd been. But all along, he knew there was just no way around it. "Don't even worry about that." As soon as he finished talking, she shot him a stern look. He knew he was being a hypocrite, on top of a bad husband, and so he sighed again, "I guess, we both shouldn't worry about anyone else."

Roxanne tried to laugh but the ease she was after failed to come. "That's ridiculous, John. We can't just ignore everyone else to make us feel okay. Especially your wife."

John tried to protest but someone cut in. "Roxanne, it's not your break yet."

They both turned to look at the speaker. The tone of arrogance already gave them an idea of their identity and getting the confirmation didn't make it any better.

"I know, boss, I'm going back to work," Roxanne scoffed. She turned her attention back to John. "We'll talk more about it another time alright?"

"Yeah but don't worry about it until we get everything straightened out, please."

Dan moved a little closer. "Roxanne."

"I'm coming, I'm coming."

Luckily, John was too focused on Roxanne to care much about Dan. "Rox, please, don't worry about her okay?"

Roxanne meekly nodded before turning away to head back to work. She kept walking, and as she did, she felt her senses telling her to turn back around. But like with a lot of things, she ignored it. Work was more important right now and John could wait.

"I love you," she heard him say.

Roxanne immediately froze. Everything around her suddenly became a blur and the only thing her senses managed to pick up was the heavy beating of her chest.

"I love you," John repeated. "If you can't get everyone else that's involved, out of your mind, then please, at least remember that."

Roxanne blinked and before she could turn to look back, she heard him make an exit.

* * *

Roxanne used the clicks of her heels, as she made her way out of the airport, as a counter distraction to her mind's thoughts. Unfortunately, it wasn't working. She'd been desperately trying to interchange her thoughts of John with Eve's wedding, which was why she was there in the first place, but that too wasn't working. Not even when she finally got into her hotel room. It sat right across from the honeymoon suite and even that didn't provide the needed distraction. Although she'd been accommodated into first class and into a presidential suite, her mentality ultimately bogged her down.

She placed her carry on and luggage on the couch before allowing her body to crash against the bed sheets. The luggage in particular kept her attention. In it, she packed John's bag that he had forgotten at her place last night. Frustrated with her continuous thoughts of him, she closed her eyes, desperate to drift off into sleep, but found it to be impossible. She couldn't get John out of her mind, not even in the slightest bit. She couldn't do it after last night and what he said to her. His confession had taken a full-time occupation in her mind and so far, there were no signs of its retirement.

However, she refused to allow her thoughts to work her actions. No matter how bad she wanted to talk to him, she resisted any form of communication. If she was going to talk to him, it was going to be in person. It was far too personal to make technology play the lead role. The matter at hand was more important than that.

Fortunately, they were in the same city again. Hell, they were even in the same building.

Unfortunately, she wasn't sure if talking would be the best thing right now. Which was exactly why she decided to lock herself up in her room for as long as she was allowed to.

Sure, he told he loved her. She'd been wondering if their intimate actions actually meant more and there was the confirmation. It did mean more. She meant more. For once, she meant more.

However, Roxanne was still struggling to suffice the fact that no matter how much she meant to John, she may never mean as much to him as his wife.

* * *

John spent the last ten minutes pacing around his hotel room. He knew Roxanne's flight had landed an hour ago, which meant she must have been in the building already. He had gotten her room number from Eve and all that was left for him to do was to go there. However, ever since he confessed his love for her, it'd been hard for him to even phantom having a conversation. He was nervous. But it was a good kind of nervous.

When he finally managed his nerves, he walked out of his room and waited for an elevator door to open. Just when he felt ready to relax, the person that stepped out shot his chances to a minimal.

"Hey baby," Liz greeted with a smile. "I'm excited to be invited to this wedding! It was so sudden but I mean, I could use this vacation before I get further into the pregnancy."

John's mouth quickly dried up. He wasn't sure if it was from the total shock of his wife's presence or from the delay he received of seeing Roxanne. Either way, he couldn't bring himself to talk.

"John," Liz nudged his arm. "Are you okay?"

John opened his mouth.

"Oh!" she laughed. "You didn't expect me to be here, huh? You silly. I'm your wife, of course I got invited. I thought you knew that already but at the same time, I was hoping to surprise you."

That, she definitely did. John spent the next few seconds wondering how this could be. He hadn't told her about the wedding and he was sure as hell that Eve hadn't either. Yet, his wife was right there, right in front of him.

"Where's our room?" Liz asked. She pulled the rest of her luggage out of the elevator then handed them to John.

"It's this way," he mumbled, lifelessly guiding them both to that direction.

They walked both in unison and in silence. Liz couldn't help but smile at the events that were unfolding, while John couldn't help but frown at the inevitable event of Roxanne seeing Liz.

But before any of that, John knew he needed to see one person first. And he was going to do it now.

"Liz, I um, I actually I had somewhere to go," John mentioned as soon as he fixated his wife into the room. "Just relax here, okay. I'll be back later."

"But John," she tried to protest but John cut in.

"Elizabeth, I'll be back."

She looked at him in complete shock. She tried hard to study his features but only found a total sense of unfamiliarity. His husband didn't look the same anymore, his eyes were different. They were definitely not looking at her like they used to. This new face gradually walked up to her and she felt herself begin to shrink as it did.

"We need to talk, Liz, but we'll have to wait until we get home. Like you said, you could use this vacation, so please, just try to relax."

"How the hell am I supposed to do that when my own husband can't even assure me of anything else?"

John settled his sight on the floor and let out a shaky breath. There he went again, being unfair and without a way around it. "Liz, I know, but we really can't talk about this right now. Let's just enjoy this break."

"And pretend that everything's okay, when it's really not?"

"Haven't we been?" John brought a hand to his forehead. His frustration was growing and there was no way to suffice it now. He looked at his wife one more time and when she didn't say anything else, he decided it was best to leave.

It was time to get things straight and he knew just where to start.

"I'm done with this," he said as soon as he found who he was looking for. "Liz is here."

"Okay."

Unsatisfied with the lack of response he received, John stepped closer, fist closed. "I'm done with this bullshit, Miz."

"Okay," the other man repeated.

"No, it's not okay. Liz is here and I know you have something to do with it."

"No-"

"Miz, I know she's here because you got her here. The deal's off."

"Alright," Miz nodded, putting his hands up. "Deal's off. I could give a crap. You keep doing your thing, and I'll do mine. "

"If anything, absolutely anything, you do involves putting harm to Liz or Roxanne, we're gonna have problems," John warned before he angrily brushed past him and walked off.

He placed himself back into the elevator and used the travel time to prepare for his next conversation. He wasn't quite sure how he'd explain everything to Roxanne, especially his involvement with Miz.

_"Answer my question, I don't want any of that bullshit," John said._

_"Well, uh…" Miz began. His eyes traveled the room before he said anything else. "Yeah, I've been talking to your wife. She's worried about you."_

_"And why exactly did you pull yourself into my business?"_

_"Because you're in mine."_

_"What are you talking about?"_

_"Your little friend Roxanne. I'm gonna make sure she stays just a friend and if she doesn't, I'm gonna tell your wife."_

_John let out a frustrated laugh. "I still didn't get the part why you got into my business, Miz."_

_"Because you're Roxanne's friend, and you're my only way I can get my shit back. I'll make a deal with you, John. Find me my pocket watch. It's in her closet, inside the bottom drawer, inside a small black box."_

_John clenched his jaw but didn't say anything. He was still trying to calculate the words he just heard._

_"Look, I need that pocket watch. It's mine and she never gave it back. So get that for me and I'll be out of your way. If not, I'm gonna have to get it myself, whether I talk to your wife about things, or I'll personally take it from Roxanne."_

_John shook his head. "You're not gonna do that."_

_"You're right," Miz nodded. "I won't, because you'll get that pocket watch for me."_

Roxanne groaned when she realized the nap she finally succeeded in getting had only taken up thirty minutes of time. Great. What was she supposed to do for the rest of the night?

She sat up on the bed and scanned the place for any potential forms of distraction. She came across some menus, a couple remotes, and some bottles of wine. Nothing appealed to her and for some reason, the luggage stole her attention once again. She got up and opened it without hesitation. She looked through a few of her things before she pulled out John's bag. She tossed it from side to side before she brought her finger to tug on the zipper of its biggest compartment. Inside, she found his bottles of cologne, shaving cream, and shampoo.

"Wow, I wonder how you're doing without this," she laughed to herself. She placed the items back into the bag before unzipping the front pocket. She dropped her hand into it and immediately felt the coldness of some object. It was metal. She pulled it out and as soon as she saw what it was, her heart dropped.

It was her pocket watch. The same one she'd kept hidden inside her closet and the same one she'd been looking for. How and why did John have it?

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Oh shit, some shady business going on between John and Roxanne. Darn Miz. It's all his fault! Haha. Hopefully the next chapter can be even better. Thoughts? Concerns? Review!

_March 28, 2011._


	18. Questions

**Chapter 18**  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own anyone from the WWE.

**Thanks:** Lauren, Sonib89, Felonxoxo, xXParieceXx, and Cena's baby doll for your lovely reviews. Enjoy everyone!

* * *

Was this really happening? All of it was beginning to look like a mirage and Roxanne couldn't stop herself from letting her time in solitude turn into time of evaluation.

Her mind traced back to the first time she ever laid her eyes on John, then to each time she smiled as she did, then to all the times she ever caught herself gloating, because of him, amidst all of life's happenings. Now that she was replaying all these events, it was starting to seem unreal. How could it have gotten to this? It was too much now, too far, and too deep into something she couldn't even explain. Not to anyone, and not even to herself.

She sat on the hotel bed feeling cold as ever. She was beyond confusion and the feeling of perfection she thought she had possessed was slowly starting to slip off her fingers. Of course, that was no shock. John wasn't next to her and his presence was perfection's only chance of survival. Thoughts of having his absence take it's permanence had been taking a toll on her, and now that she 's convinced she was even closer to it's actuality, she lapsed.

They couldn't be together. It just could never be. While John always told her to not to worry, finding her lost pocket watch in his belongings told her otherwise. She had doubts and here came more reasons. They were definitely mounting on themselves now.

So without further delay, Roxanne decided she was going to do something about it. But first, she opted to hear an explanation before jumping to complete conclusion.

She took a deep breath then she brushed off the hairs that draped over her cheeks. She got up from the bed, straightened out her shirt, and walked out of the door. She was ready to face him now.

She waited until she got herself into an elevator before taking her phone to call John. The wait seemed to take forever and an answer failed to come even as she stepped out of the steel doors. A sea of unfamiliar faces passed by and for a second, she felt as if she were placed in some foreign place. The bodies that surrounded her turned into a mesh of blur, causing her to groan through the uncanny situation.

She decided trying to call John once more would occupy her time best, and so she did. Again, she received no answer.

Roxanne walked through the crowds and steadied her hands as she tried to keep composure. She was trying and trying until suddenly, she found more reason not to. As she got closer to the hotel café, she narrowed her eyes and instantly recognized the head of blonde hair and the mischievous smile that stood across from her. It was Liz.

What the hell was she doing here?

John hadn't told her she would be attending. Hell, John hadn't told her anything since he told her he loved her. If he even meant it.

Roxanne felt her throat close up as the lump in it began to grow. Her face got hot and her fingertips burned as the phone began to vibrate against it. She looked at the screen and cursed as John's name popped up. Now he called her? Damn timing. But it didn't take long for her to click ignore. She'd had enough.

There she was, ready and willing to hear his explanation, even after he'd already been caught red handed. And now he'd dismissed to tell her, to at least warn her, that his wife would be around, right after telling her he loved her? There was nothing right about that, and Roxanne knew better than anyone, that John Cena wasn't concerned about doing the right thing, anyway.

She just thought that maybe, just maybe, he would for her. She fell for it. She was a fool, but that was nothing new.

* * *

John helplessly forced himself into eating the complimentary crackers in his suite. It was almost midnight when he realized what little amount of food he'd consumed in the past 24 hours. If his memory hadn't failed him, he was sure the last time he ate was at Roxanne's house.

Hell, the last time he smiled was at Roxanne's house.

He popped the last pieces of crumbs into his mouth before turning his head to look at the woman fast asleep on the bed. It was his wife. He'd gone back into their room when he failed to see Roxanne in hers. When he got back into the suite, Liz wasn't there and so he fell asleep. When he woke up, she was fast asleep right next to him. And now there he was, wide awake only to wish he wasn't. He would've rather immersed himself into his dreams where everything seemed right.

Reality, today alone, had been awful. He hadn't seen nor talked to Roxanne and it's effects were taking a toll on him. He needed her. He wanted her. He craved her. In every which way he could take. It wasn't just a physical thing and his heart finally made that connection with his brain. Unfortunately, he just hadn't been good at connecting this to everyone else. Not even to her. And definitely not to his wife. But he was ready to. He was ready to profess the truth, the whole truth, now that he was sure of it's entirety.

John didn't let another second pass before he got up and left the room. He'd missed to catch Roxanne earlier but he was determined to now. He'd waited long enough.

He made it to the front of her room in record time but receiving her response was another story. He knocked and knocked, for what seemed like eternity. Then finally, the door opened up.

"Rox."

Her eyes pierced into his and he quickly saw the defeat present in them. Despite that, he concluded she looked even more beautiful than the last time he saw her. That had always been the case.

She made an effort to form a small grin but that was all the welcome she provided. The two stood in silence for a few seconds before John walked himself in.

He immediately turned to look at her with question written all over his face.

"Hm?" she muttered.

John struggled to understand the tension that stood before them and even worse, he couldn't bring himself to ask. He was nervous again, but this time, it was the bad kind of nervous. Something was definitely wrong. But he decided it was best not to start off on such note. "I haven't talked to you in a long time."

She smiled and for awhile, he wasn't sure if it was a genuine one. "We talked yesterday."

"Yeah, that was a long time ago," John shrugged innocently. He smiled when he noticed hers had stayed.

"Well, I think we'd be better off not talking until after the wedding."

John felt his head turn and he was more than taken aback by her blunt words. The smiles on their faces suddenly disappeared. He didn't understand. "Uh…"

Roxanne sighed. Her lips formed a narrow line and the coldness in her eyes only seemed to get colder. "John, I'm here for the wedding, and apparently, the wedding only so…"

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Well I obviously was looking forward to spending this weekend with you but you've brought your wife and that just-"

An unpleasant feeling quickly washed over him. All this time, he'd been focused on trying to make right with Roxanne, that he forgot the wrongs he'd already made. How inconsiderate of him. He felt panicked. So much so that he had to cut into her sentence for defense. "Rox, it's not what you think. Liz is here-"

"John, please, I don't wanna talk about this right now. It's late and like I said, I'm here for the wedding. If we need to talk, we can do it after."

John could only nod. He knew what hole he'd gotten himself into and she deserved respect. Now wasn't the time for this. He needed more than one night to prove to her his worth. "Alright."

She gave him a nod back.

He looked at her with sorry-set eyes and a frown to match. He was hurting her, both in ways he was aware of, and to his dismay, in ways he wasn't. Having to wait to make a fix only made him feel worse.

"I'll see you tomorrow then?"

She gave him another nod.

John sighed with the little response he got. That's probably all he deserved at this point, but knowing that, didn't make him feel any better. He grabbed for more time to engulf himself into the image of her. She was breath taking and it stung his heart to know he'd have to wait to see her again. Much less get a chance to talk to her again.

He brought his hand to cup her jaw before he brought his lips to place a tender kiss on her forehead. She trembled against his touch and it calmed him to know he still had that effect.

"Good night, John."

He looked at her, from a much closer stance, and returned, "goodnight."

She formed the same small grin she had welcomed him with then backed away to open the door.

John made an inward groan, feeling forced to make an undesired exit. He walked to it and looked back at her once more. He didn't know what to do. It was obvious he had to leave but it was even more obvious to him that he needed to stay. He'd just feel out of place if he were to walk away from her.

Right as she got ready to close the door, John used his hand to gently halt it's movement. He stepped closer before leaning in to capture her lips. Damn did he miss them. And he could tell she missed his too.

There was no resistance. In fact, she reciprocated by gently sucking on the bottom of his lip. She knew he loved that. And he loved her for it.

"Goodnight, John," she whispered, brushing her lips against his.

John only smiled, then he walked away before he had a chance to change his mind.

* * *

"Good morning beautiful."

Roxanne rolled her eyes upon hearing that familiar voice. It was one she wished she'd never hear again, but there it was. It was so close she could feel the breath that came out with it. "Go away."

"You want me to leave already?"

"I never even wanted you to come around, asshole."

"Woah, woah," Miz put up his hands in defense. "Can we be mature adults about this?"

"About what? I want nothing to do with you."

"You cant hold grudges forever, Roxanne. You should know better than that."

Roxanne smiled. "You're right, I do know better."

And with that, she got up from her seat at the hotel café and pushed the man aside. She could hear him chuckle as he followed her trail. The frustration was starting to build and it only heightened when she realized John and Liz were nearing her path. Great. She was sandwiched.

Right as she locked eyes with John, she decided to turn the other way. Miz unfortunately had the same plan and so they bumped into each other, with more force than either of them anticipated.

"Sorry, I guess we just can't keep away from each other," Miz smiled.

Roxanne groaned. "Dammit, Miz."

"What?" The man in question raised his eyebrows. His tactics obviously weren't working on her anymore. He knew he was only building her frustration, but he also couldn't deny how nice she looked while at it.

The person he'd beaten countless times no longer had traces of his fury. They all faded away and a more stable woman stood before him. He thought he'd only stayed with her due to the vulnerability she presented but this stronger persona had him interested. He was enticed.

Miz liked a challenge and he smiled as he looked at it. "Roxanne, come on. We're in gonna be in the same place for the next couple of days. We might as well be cordial with each other."

"No thanks, I'm sure I'll be fine." Roxanne used her to best efforts to push him aside again, but he reciprocated by pulling her back. "Don't touch me!"

Miz backed up and loosened his grip on her arm. He was more than mused by all the commotion he was causing. He could feel John's eyes on them, and it satisfied him to know he was helpless. John had always been helpless whenever Liz was around. This was no exception.

"Roxanne, I'm sorry alright." He claimed his innocence by putting up his hands.

"Leave me alone and I'll believe you."

"Yeah but-but don't we all have something to tell Liz?" As soon as he was finished talking, even he was surprised, at what was just said.

Roxanne immediately froze. She shifted her eyes from Miz, to the married couple, then back to Miz.

Was this really happening? The pocket watch. Liz being here. Miz and Liz. Was she missing something here?

Roxanne tried desperately to use the next few seconds to wrap her mind around the situation but she just couldn't. Nothing was making sense anymore.

She was probably just as clueless as Liz, if not more.

"You're Liz, right?" Miz asked as he turned his sights on her. No one could understand what he was trying to do. Not even him. He just felt this urge to keep Roxanne's attention and his desperation pushed him into stirring more trouble.

Liz nodded, as if it were the first time she'd ever seen Miz. God was she a good actress. But she needed no script. She had a few words of her own. "What do you mean you guys have to tell me something?"

Roxanne kept her eyes on Miz. What was he doing? How did he even know Liz? Why did he suddenly seem so involved in everything? She was baffled as these questions kept pouring without answers. She could feel John shift into his spot uncomfortably and she wondered if he was just as blindsided as she was. But who was she kidding. Of course not. He hadn't told her a lot of things and this was probably another share fair.

"Roxanne!" someone called out.

She turned and felt instant relief when she saw Eve coming towards her. Finally. Someone who wasn't involved in all this mess. She gladly took her chance to leave and walked off.

"Roxanne, wait," Miz tried to call out, but she was already lost amongst the crowds. Disappointment washed over him before it got replaced by discomfort. Great. What had he gotten himself into? He stared at the married couple in front of him.

"What were you talking about?" Liz asked again.

"It's nothing," Miz shrugged. He looked at John, who had his lips pursed firmly and his eyes pierced sharply.

Liz looked on at her husband as well. "John, what's going on?"

"Why are you asking me, isn't that your little phone friend?" he asked coldly. He didn't bother giving his wife a chance to say any more before he turned his heel and walked away. He figured it'd be best to restrain from any conversation with her. It couldn't lead to anywhere good if they kept their proximity.

Everything was coming down and for the first time, John struggled to justify all the wrong he'd caused. He was well past defeat and control was surely slipping off his hands. There had to be change, it couldn't keep going like this anymore.

* * *

Roxanne tried desperately to eliminate the reverberation in her head, but she just couldn't do it. She was drowning in her thoughts and there were no lifesavers around. If anything, she had an even bigger anchor now and it was John.

"Roxy, are you sure you don't wanna talk about it?" Eve asked.

They were sitting in Eve's hotel suite, a mere twelve hours before her wedding. The last thing Roxanne wanted to do was bring in some damper topic. "It's nothing, really."

"You know I always know when you're lying."

"I'm not lying. It really is nothing - nothing compared to your wedding," Roxanne reasoned.

Eve shook the nerves that traveled down her spine. "Oh God. I'm so nervous, I don't even wanna think about that. So please, just tell me."

Roxanne sighed. Where was she supposed to start? Luckily, she wouldn't have to, just yet. A knock came at the door and she was officially saved by the bell.

"Oh, hold on, I'll get that," Eve excused herself and got up. She returned a few seconds later and smiled. "Looks like we have a few visitors tonight."

Roxanne leaned forward to get a better view. She frowned when the bottles of vodka came to sight. "Your wedding is tomorrow, Eve."

"So, who cares. I didn't even get to have a bachelorette party. Just make sure I don't drink too much, and it'll be fine."

Roxanne looked at her skeptically. She didn't budge when Eve tried to pull her up to a stand.

"Roxy, come on. I'd rather be having fun than be laying in my bed anxious. I'm sure you feel the same way."

When her words finally registered, Roxanne got up from her seat and smiled. That was the best thing she's heard all day.

* * *

There was no hiding the lack of sleep John had the previous night. He was fitted in his tailored suit with a haggard face to kill. The wedding was supposed to start any minute now and the waiting process felt like a marathon. He just wanted it to be over. He couldn't place himself into an unacceptable state of mind and he'd given up trying a long time ago.

He was so low that having Miz take a place next to him didn't make much impact.

"John listen, about yesterday, I didn't mean to go about business like that. It was an impulse thing and I surprised even myself. I'm not trying to stir anything between you and Roxanne or you and Liz. I have my own things going on now and none have anything to do with you."

John barely budged. He kept his straight face, that he slowly turned to look Miz in the eye. "You think you're any of my concern right now?"

Miz shrugged and got up. He knew he had just gotten off the hook and he was more than ready to flee.

"I told her already. I told her everything," John muttered.

Miz was ready to walk but the words that left John's mouth had him stop. He narrowed his eyes and saw the look in John's. He definitely wasn't lying. He had told, and everything.

* * *

**Author's Note: **I know what you guys are wondering. John told who and what? Why is he so down about it? Lemme know what you guys think :)

_April 4, 2011._


	19. Hurt

**Chapter 19  
****Disclaimer:** I don't own anyone from the WWE.

**Thanks:** Animal-Viper-Cena Fan, Felonxoxo, xXParieceXx, Lauren, Sonib89, Pinayprincesa, and Cena's baby doll for your reviews. They are greatly appreciated. Enjoy!

* * *

John Cena searched his head for any form of revitalization but he couldn't. Not even close. He was surrounded by huge company, the same one he enjoyed on a daily basis, but that still didn't fill the empty void. Not even close. He'd sent Miz away just seconds ago, thinking it'd do him some good, but it didn't. Not even close.

The wedding was supposed to start and all he wanted was for it to end. He looked around and saw faces. All who he recognized, but none he who he wanted. He couldn't imagine getting through the coming minutes by himself. His wife wasn't there. And as he kept looking around, he found that neither was Roxanne.

He tapped his foot anxiously as he frantically shifted his sights from place to place. It was desperation that had him physically trying to counteract the tenfold that his mind was running, but that too, didn't work. Nothing worked.

Suddenly, "Here Comes the Bride" started playing and for a second, John was able to shift his thoughts. As Eve began walking down the isle, he couldn't help but think of Roxanne. He concluded she'd look absolutely beautiful in a wedding dress. Breathless. He pictured her walking towards him and it had his heart race. Once he realized those thoughts weren't, and may never be, coincided with reality, he relapsed; forcing him to refocus on the ceremony.

John did that for a couple minutes. He was then distracted by a cunning figure that passed by the middle isle. Although he only had a glimpse of her back, he knew who it was. It was Roxanne. She had slipped into the wedding a few minutes late, and obtaining her proximity automatically calmed him.

It was suddenly impossible to pay attention to the ceremony, but he didn't care. He didn't mind staring at Roxanne, even if it was from afar. He gladly did that for nearly the whole duration of the wedding. Once it was over, he got up. He was eager to talk to her, but somehow, they both ended up lost amongst the crowd.

He kept passing through everyone but each face he met wasn't hers. After five minutes of pushing through people, he decided to head towards the front of the church. He was bound to see her there.

He waited. And waited. And waited.

Suddenly, he decided to switch gears, and so he picked up his phone. He had a call to make.

"Hey," he greeted instantly.

"John."

"Where are you?"

"Just landed."

John cleared his throat. He didn't know what to say. He sent his wife home, just a few hours ago, so what was he supposed to say? He didn't even know why he called her. It must have been guilt. "Well, I'm glad to hear you got there safe."

"Yup."

"Well, I um, I just wanted to check up on you."

"Okay."

"I um-I love you."

"Uh huh."

John scratched his head. He had to have expected that one, and the tone of her voice. She definitely didn't want to talk to him and she did a good job at making it apparent. He more than understood and so he sighed. "Bye Liz."

He hung up the phone and suddenly, he didn't feel okay again. Problems with his wife had always been present, but not officially accounted for. It hadn't been discussed. That was in the process of change and John was beginning to feel small.

He got engrossed into his thoughts again and for awhile he didn't know where he was. The instant his eye caught Roxanne, he snapped out of it. "Rox!"

She was looked at him and smiled. "Hey, John."

He beamed as she made her way towards him. For the first time, he felt able to breathe. All day he'd been feeling suffocated but there was his revitalization. Finally. He didn't hesitate to pull her into a full hug once she got in arms length. They said nothing as they fully immersed themselves into the embrace. He could tell she needed it just as much as him. "I missed you."

She pulled away and looked at him. "You know, I missed you too."

He studied her eyes and for awhile, he couldn't read it. He gave up trying when he figured that was the least of his worries. She was right there, right in front of him. She was with him again. That was more than enough. "I wanna talk to you, Rox."

She nodded. "We will, John. But remember what I told you, after the wedding."

John raised his eyebrows. "Um, yeah, I-I remember."

She cupped his hand and squeezed it. For that while he felt okay.

"Wanna head to the reception together?" he asked.

"Actually, I've already worked out my ride there so-"

"Oh…okay," John nodded with a straight face.

Roxanne gave his hand another squeeze. "Save me a dance if you can."

John chuckled. He had to cling onto the thought of seeing her later, it was his only hope. "I definitely will."

She smiled before she gave him a tight hug.

He would've done anything to get a kiss from her but he knew he couldn't. There was too much people around.

"I'll see you soon," she smiled.

"Soon," John nodded. "Please."

She let out a soft laugh before she walked away.

* * *

John twirled the contents of his drink inside the cup. He wasn't even sure what it was, but Randy handed it to him, saying he could very well use a drink. John couldn't deny, but he couldn't bring himself to take it either. He was too focused on the doorway. Roxanne should've been there by now.

He sighed and momentarily took a break from watch. He settled his drink on the table and as he leaned back into a chair, he felt a hand squeeze his arm.

"Hey, John."

Immediately recognizing her voice, he turned around and smiled. "Rox, I didn't even see you go in."

"Oh yeah? Well, I saw you come in."

John raised his eyebrows. "You got in here before me? Why'd you wait this long to say hi then?"

She shrugged and took a seat next to him. "I was busy mingling, I guess."

John gave her a satisfied nod and offered her his drink.

She shook her head. "No, I'm off the alcohol. I had enough last night. You know, I had the worst hang over this morning. I was late but I can't believe I even survived the ceremony. "

"Tell me about it," he muttered. He couldn't believe he survived it either, without her. "So last night, huh?"

Roxanne smiled. "Last night was crazy."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

John nodded. Last night was crazy. He was sure of that, for both him and her. He just wasn't sure if they were talking about the same fall of events. Hell, if she even truly remembered them. She had been intoxicated after all.

"Roxanne! Help me put my dress back together," one of the divas said.

"Put your dress back together?" Roxanne repeated in question form. "Damn girl, and the party hasn't even started."

"That's what you think."

"Oh gosh," Roxanne laughed. She turned her attention to John and excused herself. "I'll catch up with you later alright? I'm gonna help this damsel in distress."

John nodded and tried to form a smile. As soon as she was gone from sight, he couldn't stop wondering. Had she remembered last night?

Was she capable to, was the question. As John kept his mind on this, he began to wish he, himself, wasn't capable of remembering.

_John was surprised when he realized someone else was in the hotel café. It was three in the morning for God's sakes. He wasn't in the right state of mind and as he looked on at his company, he realized she wasn't in right state either. She was sitting down with her head and hand sprawled across the table. Even though she laid in such a distorted way, she still looked beautiful. It didn't take John long to realize why. It clicked. It was Roxanne. _

"_Rox?"_

_She immediately put her head up and looked at him. "Mm, John."_

"_Are you alright?" he asked, taking a seat next to her._

_She nodded. She looked tired. Her eyes were sunken in._

"_Look, I'm sorry," John blurted out. This needed apology had been burning his tongue for some time and now that he found a chance to let it out, he seized it. "I know you told me we'll talk about it after the wedding, but I can't. Baby, I can't do it. I can't sit here and know I've done you wrong and that I haven't apologized for it. I don't wanna prolong the hurt feelings you have because of what I've done."_

_Her eyes were fixed on him but she didn't say a word. _

_He was glad, because he still had more. Plenty. "Look, Miz and I got involved into shit a few days ago. We talked and somehow, he found a way to use my guilt into making me do something. I um-I was the one who took your pocket watch. You know, the one you've been looking for? He said if I got it for him, he'd leave us alone. So I-I took it, because I panicked, and it was stupid, and I was naïve. Baby, I know, but it was you. You make me do these crazy things. I know I shouldn't have taken it from you, especially without asking. But I didn't give it to him, and I'm not going to."_

_Roxanne's facial expression didn't look much different. John was still contemplating on whether that was a good or bad thing. _

"_Baby," he grabbed her hand._

"_Why, why would you even do that? I would never, ever even think to do something behind your back, like that."_

_John swallowed the forming lump in his throat. It was painful. _

"_Is that all you're good for, John? Doing things behind people's back?" she asked. She always had a sharp tongue but it never cut. This one definitely did and it was deep. _

_He narrowed his eyes as he tried to read hers. He didn't know how to respond to that. _

_She shook her head and got up. As he watched her begin, or try to, walk, it became apparent to him that she was under some influence. She wasn't walking straight at all. No wonder she'd come off sounding more emotional than usual. _

"_Rox." He held her up. _

"_Stop it, John. I know how to walk too, you know," she pushed him off but of course, she was too weak. When she figured that out, she tried her best to walk away, anyway. _

"_Where are you going?"_

"_To my room," she answered. _

_John guided her to the elevator without reluctance and she reciprocated by putting herself into his arms. She was an emotional wreck and seeing her try to deal with her pain, the pain that he had caused, killed him. He wrapped his arms around her, and when that didn't suffice the feeling, he grabbed her face and kissed her. _

_It was then confirmed that she had been drinking. John tasted the liquor that lingered but he didn't care. She tasted just as good as she ever did. _

"_Mmm," she moaned. "John. Why do you do all this? It hurts."_

_He searched her eyes and tried his best to somehow assure her, that everything would be okay. He knew all it'd take for her to believe him was to for her to look into his eyes. She'd see it. She'd see the truth. But right now, she was too consumed with alcohol and he wasn't exactly sure how much that took away from her. _

"_It hurts," she repeated. "It hurts more than Miz ever hurt me, John."_

_John felt himself die a little more. _

_She pointed a finger to her heart and dabbed it. "You see this right here? He was never able to touch that part of me, but you did, and now it hurts, John. It hurts. Is that why no one ever loved me? Because it hurts to love? If this is how it is then I don't wanna love you anymore, John."_

"_Stop that, Rox. You're drunk right now, alright?"_

"_Then just get me another drink," she suggested. _

_The elevator finally reached her floor but she closed them in again. _

"_Get me another drink," she repeated. _

"_No, Rox."_

"_You have to. They wouldn't let me have another one."_

"_And I wont either." John tried to close the elevator once they got back down. _

"_John! Get me another drink." Roxanne grabbed his hand._

"_No." He gently tried to pull her back into the elevator. It didn't take much effort but seeing the pain in her face took a whole lot from him. He was weak. Weak in a sense that he never was before, with anything or with anyone. "You're going back to your room."_

"_I didn't even come from my room. I drank at Eve's, then she went to sleep because she couldn't drink much, so I went to get more drinks for myself. Now, I need some more, John, please," she rambled. Her hand that was cupped around his was shaking. _

"_Roxanne, you need to sleep right now." John watched as she pursed her lips and leaned into him. He wrapped an arm around her frame and offered the little strength he had left. He knew she had none. _

_They stood in silence until the elevator got back on her floor. _

"_Shit," John cursed as soon as they turned the corner. Some girl was getting out of her room and caught sight of them. _

_John turned his attention to Roxanne. "Get some sleep, alright?"_

_She rolled her eyes. _

_He stood at her doorway, knowing it was impossible for him to get inside to tuck her into bed. He could feel the girl's eyes on them and it'd cause more stir if she were to see him walk into Roxanne' room. "Goodnight, Rox."_

"_Mm, bye," she mumbled before slamming the door shut. _

_John stared at the close door in front of him and sighed. At least she was safe in her room now. He looked over his shoulder and noticed the pair of eyes that were still on him. Instead of delaying his sleep, he shook his head and headed back to his room. _

_There, he was met by his wife. She sat wide awake, on the bed; while he stood by the foot of it, more than dying to sleep. But he couldn't yet. _

"_Where have you been?"_

"_Downstairs," he answered._

"_John, seriously, what is going on?"_

"_I don't wanna talk about this right now, Liz. The wedding's in a few hours."_

"_Well you should've thought about that before you left this room to do God knows what."_

"_To get away from you," he returned bluntly. _

_Liz held her straight face. "That's what you've been doing for awhile now."_

"_I know," he nodded. He let out a weary breath before he brought a hand to cover his yawn. The tears that formed stung and he knew he needed rest. "Liz, please, let's just talk about this when we get home."_

"_I'm going home," she stated. "I can't be here, around all your friends, and be happy. My own husband can't even be there for me so why should I stay?"_

"_Then don't."_

_The firm face she held suddenly fell. Those words hit hard, both for her and him. _

"_I'm sorry, I-" John tried to recant but it was too late._

_Liz had gotten up and started throwing things into her suitcase. He sat on the foot of the bed and watched helplessly. He would've tried harder to somehow undo the damage he'd done but he was too tired. Both physically and mentally. It had been wrong of him to try and tell Roxanne everything, and he wasn't willing to make that same mistake again. He'd have to let Liz go. _

_That's been the plan for awhile now, anyway._

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Dun, dun, dun. Everything is coming around now. You guys got the point that when John said he told her everything, he was talking about Roxanne, right? So does she even remember? How's going home for John going to be? Tell me what you guys think! Hope you enjoyed that one :)

_April 08, 2011_


	20. The Real Thing

**Chapter 20**  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own anyone from the WWE.

**Thanks: **Keena, Ctina, Felonxoxo, Cena's baby doll, Lauren, and xXParieceXx for your reviews! You guys inspired me to get this one out before the weekend. Whooo! So let's get to it and I hope you all enjoy.

* * *

It had been a long day. The past couple have been brutal but this one definitely took top notch. Luckily, John knew he had something to look forward to and it was seeing Roxanne.

Although he hadn't seen her for a good chuck of the reception, he was hopeful she'd return soon. He kept waiting, meanwhile, he put on a facade and talked with some of his co-workers. His mind was in and out of conversations and by the time it got redundant, he excused himself and headed outside. He took a seat on the curb and felt the cold breeze brush against his skin. It was refreshing.

He was just beginning to feel settled when a person interrupted his solitude and took the empty space beside him. He smiled when he saw who it was.

"I saw you walk out."

"Oh yeah?" John raised his eyebrows.

"Yeah and since you complained about me taking too long to say hi the last time, I decided to be faster."

"Faster, huh?"

"Yeah, something you know nothing about."

John laughed and shook his head. "Rox, we both know that's a lie. You've seen me work. Hell, you've felt me work."

Roxanne emitted laughter then flashed a grin. Although he'd come off too confident, she couldn't deny that. "I told you to save me a dance."

John shrugged. "I know but did the dancing even start yet?"

"No, but we can start it," she suggested with a smile. John looked her in the eyes and questioned her memory of last night. She was seemingly okay today. More than okay. She was different now and he willed himself into letting her be. She deserved to feel happy. So, the questions would have to wait.

He'd have to go along with this filler conversation. "Uhh…that'd be a little odd. We just start busting moves out of no where?"

"Yeah, why not? Come on!" She grabbed his hand and directed them back into the building. Their hands were interlaced and once John took notice, he stopped their tracks.

"Wait, wait a minute." He faced their bodies to each other. "I've been wanting to do this, all God damn day, so I'ma take this chance I can get."

He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. She returned by deepening the kiss and slipping her hand to press the back of his head. She dug her fingers into his short brown hair and caressed it. The kiss was sweet but it embodied a sense of urgency. As well as satisfaction.

John found himself smiling when their lips parted. He opened his eyes and met hers. Then suddenly, a voice that didn't belong to either of them echoed the place.

"John and Roxanne!"

They froze immediately.

It was Randy Orton.

"Come in, they're about to cut the wedding cake," he told them.

Roxanne let out a full sigh and immediately backed away from John to hurry inside. He followed closely behind, unsure of his next actions. How was he supposed to recover from that? He was still at a state of shock that someone actually came in mere seconds after, if not during, his kiss with Roxanne. He looked over at Randy and tried to study his face. It was hard to read.

He then looked at Roxanne, who'd taken a great deal to seat herself in the divas table, away from him. She looked traumatized from potentially getting caught and he understood her desire to play denial. He returned his attention back to Randy. "Hey uh-"

"No need, John," his friend shook his head. "I don't need your explanation or your excuses. Trust me, I've known. I've known for a long time."

"But how?"

"John, I see the way you look at Roxanne. Hell, I saw it the very first time I ever saw you guys in the same room. That's why I was anal about it from the beginning. I saw this coming. I was worried for your marriage from that start but I guess you can't stop things like this, can you?"

John drew his eyebrows in. He was speechless. Someone understood.

"Look man, if you're worried about me telling anyone, don't be. I'm not in any place to spread word about it. Now with that said, I still don't think what you're doing is right. You can't have both, John."

"Don't worry, I'm not planning to," John returned surely.

* * *

Roxanne woke up with a harsh streak of sun shining down her face. Her body ached and she very well knew she'd have to suffer the rest of the day because of it. But that suffer wouldn't even compare to the suffer of life itself. Hers sucked. It always did, but she got through it. She got through it immaculately with John around but she knew that wouldn't be the case any more.

It was after the wedding. They were going to have their talk. It would be the hardest thing she'd ever have to do, but it had to be done. It was for the best. She'd have to end things with him.

She got up from her bed, ready to take the day on. She couldn't wait around for it anymore.

After taking a cold shower, she dressed herself then headed out.

"Rox?"

Within three minutes of leaving her room, she stood placed in front of John's. She was ready for the talk.

"Hey, can I come in?"

"Yeah, yeah, of course. I was just about to find you."

"Well I found you instead."

John smiled.

"Can we talk?"

"Yeah, for a little bit." John walked her into his room and there she saw his luggage, all packed. "I can't for long though, I have a flight to catch."

Roxanne drew her eyebrows closer. "Oh? But I thought you guys weren't going to the next city until later tonight?"

"Yeah but I have some business to handle beforehand."

"Oh," Roxanne fidgeted with her fingers anxiously. She was going to have to wait even longer.

"So what'd you wanna talk about?"

"I don't think we have enough time to even start."

John put up both hands. "It's okay, it's okay." He assured her with a smile and it had her melt. Damn it. He was making this even harder. "We'll have all the time we need after I'm done with what I have to do."

She nodded.

He kept smiling at her. Even when she didn't give one back. "Are you alright?"

She flinched when he put a light hand on her shoulder. "Yeah, yeah, I am. I'm just tired."

John nodded. "I understand, I was a hell of a dance partner, wasn't I?"

Roxanne laughed. "Yeah, but um, I guess I'll let you head to your flight now. I don't wanna hold you up." And she couldn't stand there any longer, knowing she had more to say, more to settle. She had to leave.

"Are you sure, Rox? I don't have to go for another fifteen minutes."

"No, it's fine," she shook her head gently.

"Are you sure?"

She nodded.

John nodded back in disappointment. "Alright, well, I'll call you later then. I'll probably head to your place after tomorrow's show so we can finally talk. Sound good?"

She nodded again. Rather than wasting time and wondering why she gave a much colder shoulder, John pulled her into a hug. He kept his arms wrapped around her for as long as he could hold it.

After what felt like a whole lifetime, Roxanne loosened her grip. She looked up at him and was met by the same warm eyes she found herself always gushing over. There it was. John Cena. She watched as he lessened the space between their faces and captured her lips. She, in return, melted back into his arms.

This was utter perfection. Every single time they kissed was utter perfection. They both couldn't deny that.

John worked his lips to please hers. He brought his hand to the back of her head and kept it there, even when their lips parted. "I love you."

She brought her lips back to his for a peck then said, "I love you, too."

John smiled and tucked in some of her loose hairs behind her ear. "I know you do."

But it's unfortunate it'd still be best that I leave you, she thought to herself.

* * *

John held a straight face as he looked up at his house. He felt like he was going to a funeral. In some sense, he really was. He was about to bury something that'd been dead a long time ago.

Ready to squash the anticipation that was continuing to build, John took the keys to his house and walked through the front doors. He immediately took note of how eerie it felt to be there. He felt like a guest in his own home.

He sighed heavily as he walked himself through the place. He looked at each room he passed and found no traces of his wife. He put the keys on the kitchen counter before he walked himself up to the master bedroom.

There, he saw Liz and someone else. Someone else was in their room.

John felt his heart twitch at the sight of them and he wished, then and there, that he never opened that door. He just wanted to leave and get out of there.

"John," Liz called after him. She got up from the bed and walked over to him.

He curled his fist tightly.

"We should all talk."

John shifted his line of vision to her then to the other person in the room. It was his wife's mom.

The tension was sterile and it was more than he could take. But he had no escape. He was trapped. He was stuck in submission like he always had been to Liz.

She grabbed his hand and interlaced it with her own. She brought him to sit at the edge of the bed, right across from her and her mom.

"John," she greeted.

John gave her a nod of acknowledgement. "Nice to see you again, Mary." They had been so close that they were able to go on first name basis. It felt natural once, but not anymore.

"Well," the older woman began. "I was talking to Elizabeth and she tells me you guys are having marital problems."

John opened his mouth to talk but he couldn't manage to get a word in.

"Well, whatever it is, I'd like for you guys to see a therapist. I've made an appointment for you guys already. You guys should work through your problems, whatever it may be, no matter how big or small."

John curled his fists in tighter. He couldn't bring himself to objection and he hated it. Damn it. Why?

"We need this," Liz cut in. "I still don't know what's been going on between us but I'm willing to work through it."

"I'm not really sure about seeing a therapist, I don't need-"

"Please," Mary pleaded. "If you can't do it for yourself, then please, try to for me."

John felt all the air get balled up in his throat. He suddenly couldn't breath. This wasn't about her. It was about his failing marriage with her daughter. It wasn't working out and he was sure of that now. He was more than sure.

"With all due respect, Mary, your daughter and I have some matters to talk about with each other. I don't need a therapist to dictate our lives when we haven't even gotten the chance to do it ourselves."

"Understandable," Liz nodded. "Mom, he's right. John and I have to talk things out first."

"Alright," Mary took the hint. "I'll leave you guys alone, but you call me if you need me, okay honey?"

The younger generation nodded. "Yes, mom. I love you."

"I love you too," she said before she excused herself from the room.

John stared blankly at his wife. "I honestly don't even know where to start with this, Liz."

"Well tell me you love me."

"I love you, Liz, I do. I still do, I always have, and I always will but," John paused. "It's not even like that."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't love you like a husband should love a wife."

"I-I don't understand."

"You wouldn't. I can't even wrap my head around all that's happened either, but it did. I didn't plan on it but it did."

"What are you talking about? What happened?"

John sighed. A lot happened and he knew it'd take a lot for him to begin telling Liz the whole story. But he had to do it. As hard as it was, he felt himself smile inwardly as thoughts of Roxanne began replaying in his mind. He was going to tell Liz all about her now.

"Well, I met Roxanne and…"

* * *

"I had fun the other night."

Roxanne groaned. Why wouldn't he just leave her the fuck alone? Wait. An even better question would be, what the fuck was he talking about? She turned to face the speaker, Miz, abruptly and nearly yelled, "What?"

"I said, I had fun the other night," he enunciated clearly. "You know, with all those drinks."

Roxanne searched her head for any memory of this occurrence but when she came up empty, she rolled her eyes. "You're full of shit."

"Oh, you don't remember? I saw John walk you to your room the morning of Eve's wedding. When he left, you walked right out, asking for drinks. So, we got some then did other things."

"You know, you're still full of shit. More so than when you started talking."

"Alright, don't believe me. I'm sorry you can't rely on your memory for this one. If you wanna know more, look for a tall blonde chick with bruises just like the ones I used to give you," he laughed.

Roxanne took her hand and brought it to slap his face. It was hard, it stung, and she smiled because of it.

Miz kept the position she forced him into and laughed some more. "I'm serious, Roxanne. If you find her, maybe you'll remember. She was with us the whole entire time and since you don't believe me, she can tell you all about it."

She kept her death glare right on him, even as he backed up and walked away from her. That was preposterous. She was drunk that night but definitely not enough to miss all that. She only had a few shots with Eve and a few of her own for God's sakes.

Right? Right.

Roxanne stood there and when she almost convinced herself she was right, it suddenly dawned on her that she may be wrong. Miz somehow knew she'd been drinking that night. And that John had walked her to her room. Even if he was lying about something, he definitely wasn't lying about that. Who knows what else, now.

* * *

John couldn't believe it. He had told his wife everything. Every single thing. Down to the first time he day dreamed of being with Roxanne, to the first time he thought of her as more than a friend, to the first time she became more than a friend, and even to the fact that he was in love with her.

Yet somehow, he found himself on some other person's couch. It was cold in there, just like his heart.

"So tell me, John, what exactly is it that you want from Liz?" the marital counselor asked.

"Nothing."

"Now, remember it's important to keep an open mind. Don't just shut your wife out and think everything will be perfect."

John didn't want it to be perfect. Not with her. He already had perfection and it was with someone else. He sighed. This was going to be the longest sixty minutes of his life.

Good thing he'd been trained at coming up with lines to fit the script. It's just that, he was ready to quit doing that with Liz yet here he was again. Being submissive and pretending.

"See, that wasn't so bad, right?" Liz asked once they got into their car to head home.

John placed his hand on top of the steering wheel and sighed.

"John?"

"Liz, I told you everything yet you still wanna try and work this out?"

"John, weren't you listening to the counselor? Have an open mind."

John felt his blood boil. She was telling him to have an open mind? She didn't even know what that meant. She hadn't shown it, at all, throughout their whole marriage. He's had an open mind for her, for the longest time, and now it was done. He was done. "This isn't about the damn counselor, Liz, this is about us. Why are you still trying to work this out?"

"Because you're my husband."

"Yeah I am but only in name. Do you not understand that?" He was at a stop light but instead of waiting for the go, he backed up and parked against the curb. "Liz, listen to me. I love you, alright? I love you so much that I have to let this go. This marriage has to go. It was wrong for us to jump into it."

"So are you saying we were was just a mistake?"

"Yeah," John answered. Honestly was the best policy, but honesty never promised ease. He saw the hurt in her eyes and it killed him. He cared about her, of course. But their lives together spiraled into something that had to end. It wasn't meant to be and there was nothing he was more sure of in his life. Their marriage hadn't been real, it was all pretend. John knew that now, and it was time that she did too.

Roxanne was the real thing. It was never this marriage with Liz.

"How do you know you're not just making another mistake with her, huh, John?"

"Because"

"What?"

"Because I felt something with her that I never felt with you."

* * *

**Author's Note: **OOOOH, BURN. So here's the thing guys, I already have the next two chapters written. I have the next two after that planned out BUT I NEED you guys' feedback RIGHT NOW. I've been reading over some chapters and realized I could've done better. So please let me know your thoughts on the story. Let me know what you guys like, what I can work on, how you feel, if it's going too fast, too slow, too boring, etc. That way, I can accommodate the rest of this in the best way I can. I know there's a lot of you guys who don't review but please, help me out so I can produce even better chapters. I'd like to know if I'm heading to the right direction with this so please review and thank you very much! Plus, I'd get to write and update faster ;)

_April 14, 2011._


	21. What Now?

**Chapter 21  
****Disclaimer:** I don't own anyone from the WWE.

**Author's Note: **Here's a faster update for my awesome reviewers! You guys are amazing. Special thanks to Cena's baby doll, xXParieceXx, Sonib89, Keena, Felonxoxo, Lauren, Irshbeth, and Animal-Viper-Cena Fan. Your feedback was very much appreciated. Enjoy everyone!

* * *

Today was the day.

John's face lit up as he got off the car and was met by the sight of Roxanne's house. He shook his jittery nerves and immediately brought his hand to the doorbell. His eyes lingered. The wait was only increasing his anticipation. He rung the door bell again but before the sound fully made it's run, the door swung open.

John frowned.

He didn't expect to see what stood before him.

It was Roxanne looking more distraught than he'd ever seen. Her hair was in tangles, her eyes were red and puffy; it looked as if she'd been crying all day.

"Baby," John immediately wrapped his arms around her. "What's wrong?"

She sobbed harder as he began placating her with his hands. Her tears soaked up his shirt and she began to tremble against his frame.

"Shhhh," he ran his hand down her hair, smoothing each one that stuck out of place. "It's okay."

She clutched onto him tighter and tried her best to calm the nerves. She couldn't cry forever. Once she got a slight hold of herself, she let go of John and sniffled.

John placed a finger under her chin and pulled it up. "Baby, what's going on?"

She sniffled some more. "Emotional wreck."

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

She shook her head. This was too much. She'd been dying inside and hearing her thoughts out loud sounded scary. Lethal.

"I just wanna relax ," she mumbled.

"Alright, we can definitely do that," John nodded. He made sure to close and lock the front door before he guided Roxanne into her room. "Let's just lay down."

She didn't say a single word. He felt her chest heave against his and within minutes, he saw that she was fast asleep.

John ran his hand over her hair and sighed. He never felt so helpless. Or clueless.

He saw the pain in her the night before Eve's wedding and that involved alcohol. But this, this he didn't understand. He knew he'd been hurting her, but he's apologized for everything. Up until now, he still wasn't sure if she was able to hear that apology, since he told her - unaware that she was drunk - but he was willing to bring it up again. He'd apologize over and over if she wanted him to. If that's what it'd take for that devastating look in her eyes to go away. He'd do it.

And that, he did the very second she woke up. He kissed her then gently brought up the subject of Miz and what he had done because of Miz.

She chuckled softly. "Why are you telling me this again?"

John raised his eyebrows. "You remember the first time?"

She nodded her head. "I wasn't even that drunk."

"But-but you never said anything about it afterwards. You were so relaxed the next day, I couldn't even tell."

She shrugged and snuggled her body even closer to his. "Mm, there was no use in ruining that day. And you apologized didn't you? What more do I need?"

John began caressing her back. She was amazing, in more ways than he can even make account for. She struck him speechless, and left him in a trance.

Roxanne pulled herself up and ran a hand down her hair. She crossed her legs and faced John. He saw the same devastated look in her eyes, and that, he still didn't understand. If she had accepted his apology then why did she still look so distraught? Was there something else bothering her?

Whatever it was, she did a good job at disguising it. John almost bought the formed smile on her face.

"Rox," he called out. His concern was building. "What's going on?"

She sighed. "I don't know how else to say it, so I'll just be completely honest and to the point."

John felt his senses heighten. He was alarmed and the panic warped him up. He knew whatever it was she was about to say, he'd have no defenses for it, whatsoever. His heart began to race, he could feel it coming out of his chest.

"I don't think you should come here anymore."

He felt his heart twinge. But it wasn't momentarily. It was over and over and over again. The same painful strides repeated themselves. It's like someone had stuck a knife in him and kept it there to get dragged on.

She continued. "I just, I can't do this, John. I can't see you anymore."

Silence.

"John," she called softly. It pinched his heart to hear his name escape her lips right after what she had just told him.

"Why?" was all he could mutter.

She sighed. The reasons why had been drowning her; now she had to be it's lifesaver and bring it back up. But she had to. She had to for John. He deserved to know what's been going on in her head. "I can't be this other woman anymore."

"But you're not."

"How could you say that? I am the other woman. I've been."

"Why? Because I call someone else my wife? Yeah I do but that doesn't change the fact that I'm in love with you."

Silence.

Roxanne closed her eyes and drew in some air. She needed to breathe. "You were right. I can't let people do shit to me anymore. I mean, look at me. I got involved with an abusive boyfriend, I've gotten kissed by my boss, and I've fallen in love with a married man."

She heaved as her burdened thoughts came to life. It's voice wasn't just in her head anymore.

John's face fell.

"I wanna thank you for everything you've done, John. I never thought I could share something so special with someone like you. I feel blessed to have it even happen-"

"Then why are you just letting it end?" John cut in. He had strength in his voice and he would be damned if he wasn't going to use that strength as a tool to fight for her.

"Because."

"Because what, Roxanne?" he searched her eyes but she looked away.

She couldn't even look him in the eye anymore. "Because it hurts."

"And you think it wont hurt if you just leave?"

"It will John but I just- I- I can't do it anymore."

John felt himself dwindle.

"Just go back to your wife."

"Damn it, Roxanne," John clenched his fist and got up from the bed. "This isn't even about her. You and me aren't about her at all. This whole time we've had something going on, you were always the one thinking about her. Not me. You're hurting because you keep letting yourself worry over some other person when it should just be about us."

"That's easy for you to say. You don't even know how I feel. I can't just pretend your wife isn't there, John." Roxanne got up.

The bed was in between them now.

"Every single time you were with me, there was always a problem with her. Every single time you ignored me, you guys were always okay. So how can you tell me not to worry? How do you think that makes me feel?" Roxanne threw her arms up to her sides. "Like a damn advocate for your happiness when your wife couldn't give it to you."

John brought a hand to his forehead. The room was starting to spin.

"I've been defenseless for a long time now, but that has to end. Just like we do."

John curled his fists in so firmly that it began to turn white. He couldn't believe how many times she had to say they were over, or that she couldn't do it anymore. "I just-" he paused. His voice was barely a whisper now. "I don't understand how you can tell me you love me then suddenly just wanna give up."

"I have to."

"Why?"

"Because you haven't given her up."

Damn it. He did. He's been wanting to and he already did. He just hasn't told her for the simple fact that he wanted it to be official first. He needed the papers for proof. He wanted to offer her something tangible, rather than just his words.

"Roxanne, I can't give up Liz if I never really had her in the first place." John walked himself to Roxanne and cupped her cheek. "If you're talking about my marriage, hell, I gave that up a long time ago. I told you I wouldn't make love to you unless I made my choice. And I did, Roxanne. I thought you would've felt it."

"I did, but I couldn't be sure. You're still married and-"

"Yeah I am still married. Can we please get over that already? Look at your left hand. Do you see a ring there?"

"No."

"And does not having one take away the fact that you're in love with me?"

"No."

"Exactly. Marriage doesn't mean anything if the right feelings aren't there. Trust me, I tried to fix my marriage. I really did because I thought maybe, maybe you were just a phase. Maybe if I gave my marriage another chance, I'd feel something again. But I didn't. I couldn't feel anything close to what I ever felt with you. I-I can't escape you, Rox. You became a part of me I can't resist."

Roxanne, for the first time that day, felt her heart lax.

They stared at each other in silence and John took the opportunity to place both of her hands in his.

"So what now?" she asked.

John shrugged. "I don't know."

Roxanne bit her lip. He was in love with her and she was sure of that now. Completely sure. She could see it in his eyes, she could hear it in his voice, and she felt it. God damn it, she felt it. It was the realest thing she ever felt in her entire life.

Not knowing what would happen next was always a problem for her, but for once, she was beginning to think it was okay.

She had John, and since she's surrendered her heart, all she could do was trust him with it.

* * *

Roxanne sat on the couch, behind John, with her legs wrapped around his muscular build. Her arms were hugged around his torso, allowing her hair to fall freely against his back. They were watching TV and once the commercials went on, John chuckled.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

He looked back at her. "Shouldn't I be the one spooning you?"

She responded by tightening her grip.

"It feels good though." John couldn't deny.

"It does. I love hugging you."

"I love you too, baby." John beamed. He loved how free he felt every time those words escaped his lips.

"I um- I wanna talk to you," she brought up shyly.

John swiped his tongue on the inside of his mouth and took hold of the remote. He turned the TV off and faced her. "What's up?"

"You tell me."

He raised his eyebrows. "Tell you what?"

She sighed. "You know."

John drew his face closer to hers then shook his head. "No, baby, I'm sorry, I don't."

"Liz."

John instinctively drew his head back at the mention of her name. He frowned. "What about her?"

"What's your status with her?"

"Well…she knows all about you. She tried to fix our marriage by bringing us to counseling. I told her it was practically impossible and we left it there."

"So what now?"

John shrugged. "I told you, I don't know."

Roxanne nodded slowly. She seemed to be trying to process all this. "Hmmm."

"Stop. Thinking. About. Her," John ordered. "Damn baby, I swear, you worry her about too much. Too much."

She sighed. He was right but who could blame her?

"Stop that," he added. "I know our situation isn't completely right yet. There's definitely baggage but baby, come on. You're taking away from us."

Roxanne put up a hand for defense. "I know, I know. You're right."

John grabbed her hand and placed it over his neck then pulled her closer towards him. He smiled. "Of course, I am. Now relax."

He was going for a kiss but before he made full contact, the door bell rang. They both emitted a frustrated sigh as she lightly pushed him off.

Before touching the knob, she stole a glance at the mirror and smoothed out her hair. She opened her door and blinked.

Roxanne couldn't believe who was at her door. There, stood the first man that ever broke her heart.

Immediately, she got engulfed into repressed fears and worries. All the pain was coming full force again, just when she thought it was over.

"Dad."

The aged man nodded. "My Roxanne."

Her knees buckled. She got weak but the pent up anger gave her a voice. "Yours? Yeah, dad, I'm still just a piece of property to you, huh?"

She felt John's eyes burning through to her. The room grew tense and each person there seemed frozen in place.

"Roxanne."

"What do you want from me?"

"I just wanted to see my daughter, that's all."

"Wow. You act like I'm some leisure activity. What am I, flavor of the week to you?"

"Roxanne."

"Seriously, what do you want from me?"

"I just wanted to see you."

"Why?"

"Because I'm dying."

Roxanne gripped the door knob tightly. "Well you know dad, so is everybody else."

The room grew quiet and the way it left Roxanne in utter discomfort caused her to close the door. The silence was broken by the sound of her locks being turned and John coming to his feet.

"Baby…"

She walked to him and shrugged.

"That's your dad."

"Whom you know nothing about."

"Baby…"

Roxanne put up her hands and placed it over his chest. "If you're planning to say how cold that was of me, then save your breath, and don't."

"But-"

Roxanne placed a finger over his mouth but he talked over it anyway.

"But baby, why? I don't understand."

Roxanne released her hand and ran it shakily over her hair. "I never talked about my dad to you, have I?"

John shook his head apprehensively. He was beginning to think that was a good thing.

"Well," Roxanne took a long pause. She wanted to sound as nonchalant as possible even though she was anything but. "Let's just say Miz wasn't the first one that fucked me up."

* * *

**Author's Note: **Well well well, we just learned more about Roxanne didn't we? How is this gonna affect anything? Leave a review and lemme know what you think! Then I'll update to unfold even more. Thanks everyone, reviewers and readers :)

_April 17, 2011_


	22. Waking Up

**Chapter 22**  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own anyone from the WWE.

**Author's Note:** Ha. Don't be surprised if the first part of this chapter sounds familiar. You've all seen it before; now it's just present time. There's also other references to earlier chapters. Enjoy everyone! Special thanks to my awesome reviewers: Keena, Felonxoxo, Lauren, Cena's baby doll, Sonib89, and xXParieceXx.

* * *

Two weeks had gone by. Fourteen days passed and it was amazing.

Pleasantly sore, John fixed his eyes at the most beautiful woman in his world. He was hoping to find some form of serenity to ease his thoughts, he desperately needed it.

He lightly shook the sleeping beauty beside him as he closed the little space between them. "Mm John, what time is it?"

"The little amount we have left together," he answered, his voice tinged with sadness.

"Mm," Roxanne moaned, finding the strength to pull her body even closer towards him.

She was the woman he missed on his worst days, and the woman he was with on his best days. Rox. She's the one he was forced to leave within the next few hours just so he can get back to work.

"You're gonna have to kidnap me if you keep looking at me like that," he said as he zipped up his last bag.

It had literally taken them two full hours, if not more, to finally get out of bed. Now he was all packed and physically ready to go, which provided him even more time to wish he wasn't.

The five-minute walk to the lobby felt like two seconds. Frowning, John looked at Roxanne and pulled her into one last hug.

She laughed and it muffled against him. "You're not gonna die John, just relax."

He sighed and struggled to follow orders. He still don't know how she managed to make being away from her feel impossible, but it happened. She succeeded whether she meant to or not.

"I have a question though," she stated.

John nodded and looked her in the eye as a way of urging her to continue.

"Are you gonna tell Liz we spent the weekend together or…?"

The bubble John had built around Roxanne and him suddenly popped. Oh yeah, Liz, his wife.

"Baby…" John frowned. "Two weeks. You broke after two weeks."

"I know but she had to be brought up sometime. She didn't disappear off the face of this earth, you know?"

John sighed.

"What I'm trying to say is, yeah you may not wanna be with her anymore, but you cant avoid her forever. Own up to the situation and take responsibility."

"Baby, I will, okay. You're absolutely right. But please, I don't want this to be the last thing we talk about before I have to leave you."

Roxanne flashed him a devilish grin. "Oh don't worry, I wasn't planning on that."

"No?"

"Nope," she said before crashing her lips to his. She smiled in the middle of their kiss.

"You up to something?"

Roxanne giggled before grabbing his hand. "I forgot to tell you, I cancelled your cab. I'll drive you to the airport myself."

"But I thought you had a meeting-"

"We'll be quick."

"We will be quick," John enunciated. He licked his lips at the thought of what that could possibly mean. It seemed obvious but he didn't want to get his hopes up either. "Huh."

He followed her strides and his lips formed a huge smile once he saw Roxanne open the door to the backseat.

* * *

John didn't even realize how tightly he clutched the manila envelope. It once was sitting on the passenger seat in perfect condition, and now that it was in his hands, it was in wrinkles. He took the keys out of the ignition and bolted out of the car. He had business to take care of. He took another set of keys and used it to open the front door to his house.

"Liz!" he called out. He looked around the place and took note of the lights that bounced off from the kitchen.

Liz was washing some dishes and had her back turned. As soon as he got closer, she turned her head and looked at him. Then at the papers in his hands.

John cleared his throat. "I need you to sign these."

Liz quickly finished the dishes then wiped her hands on the towel that hung from the cabinets. She looked at John then at the papers in his hands again.

When she didn't say anything, he slid the papers on the counter and left to get a pen. When he got back, Liz was stationed in the exact same way as when he'd left her.

"I'm not signing those," she finally spoke up.

John placed both of his hands on the counter and kept a straight face. "It'd save us a whole lot of trouble if you just sign it now."

"It'd save us what, John? Postage stamps?" she laughed. "I don't really care. Go get a third party to mail me the papers. You're good at getting a third party involved anyway, right?"

John swallowed hard. He should've expected this.

"Look, I'm not gonna make this divorce easy and I can promise you, it's only about to get a whole lot more complicated. You didn't even give this marriage a chance. You didn't even give me a chance. Suddenly, you created all these problems in your head then made a decision without even talking to me."

"Liz, there's no use in talking about us now. We're done."

"Like I said, you didn't even give us a chance."

"I did give this us a chance, I gave you all the chances in the world. I gave you everything I could. Yet, you still kept trying to get more out of me, like I was never enough for you. Now I'm done, Liz."

"What happened to never giving up? Or never backing down? Huh, John Cena?" she taunted him with crossed arms.

John drew his head back and clamped his hands togther. "It's not even about giving up, Liz. I can't force myself to love someone a certain way."

"You did before. You believed in us before. Then you gave up."

"That was before I even knew what it really meant to be in love. I told you, we jumped into our marriage too fast and too soon. We dated in high school. You were the only person I ever allowed myself to be with. Then we split. I got into the WWE and I didn't even think about marriage. Then you came back and somehow, I got myself into thinking that you were the only person I'll ever have a chance to be with."

"John, I don't need a history lesson."

"Yeah but that was our downfall. Our history fooled me. It made me think I was really truly madly in love with you. I got scared I'd be alone forever since I was too focused on my career. I couldn't find the time for anyone. Then you came back and I thought, hey, I already had something going with her. I guess I should just keep it. It was easier that way."

"So you're saying you only married me because it was easy? And now that it isn't easy, you just wanna leave?"

John sighed. "I'm not leaving because it's not easy with you Liz. I'm leaving because I have something with someone else and-"

He had to pause when his wife took her sights away from him.

"Listen to me Liz, I know this is hard. It might feel like it came out of no where but really, there'd been signs throughout our whole marriage. We got married for the wrong reasons. I had no pulse. But-but Roxanne gave that to me. It'd be unfair of me to keep you in this marriage when my whole heart is with her. I have to let you go so you can find something better for yourself."

She began shaking her head.

"Liz, you deserve to be with someone who loves you with everything they have. And I'm sorry that's not me."

Liz stiffened her face. He could tell she had withdrawn herself from the conversation. "Like I said, just go get a third party. We'll have to settle things with lawyers because I'm not signing those papers right now."

John let out an exasperated sigh. "Alright." He decided not to push it with her any further. He still cared about her and the least he could do now was to respect her wishes. Those wishes, at least.

He watched as she made an exit out of the kitchen. Then, he made an exit of his own.

* * *

This was how things were supposed to be. John was never more sure of anything in his entire life. He never knew how important someone could be to him until he met and fell in love with Roxanne. His career was one thing, but this was personal. She was all his, and although he loved his job and everything that came with it, only he was able to indulge in her all worth. He loved that. He was selfish and without guilt.

The past few weeks had been amazing and he looked forward to every day with her. It was refreshing. He lived for his job, and while he was at his job, he lived to come home to her. This life they were creating together was more than he ever dreamed of. It was a cycle he never wanted to end.

"Man, I love her," he said to himself. The smile on his face was ridiculous, it couldn't have been any bigger. But he didn't mind talking or smiling to himself. There was nothing better to do, anyway. He was sitting on the couch, with the TV on some infomercial, while Roxanne was in her room getting ready. He was taking her out tonight.

She emerged from the hallway not too long and asked, "babe, what do you think?"

John turned his head and failed to catch his breath. She looked absolutely beautiful. Her hair was framing her face with loose curls, her makeup was barely noticeable - which was exactly how he liked it, and her dress - she wore a black sweetheart tube dress that clung to her body in all the right places. His eyes danced at the sight of her.

"Wow," he nodded his head in approval. "You look…well, the same."

Roxanne made a pout.

"Nah baby, that's a good thing. You always look beautiful."

She walked herself closer to him and bit her lip. "Thanks but since I actually took more time and effort to look like this, I was kinda hoping-"

"Baby, I know what you mean, I understand. You look absolutely amazing. I wont be able to take my eyes off you tonight. But I still think you look the same. I don't wanna give you an impression that you have to do all that, for me to think you're beautiful."

Satisfied, Roxanne sat herself on his lap and smiled. Then she wrapped an arm around his neck and said, "well, thank you."

John nodded. "I love you too."

Her smile grew. "So why'd you tell me to get all dressed up tonight?"

He leaned forward, taking her with him, and grabbed the remote. "So we can watch your comedy shows."

Roxanne glanced from the TV then back to him. "Are you serious?"

John laughed. "What if I was?"

"Well," she took a moment to run a hand down his chest. "Then I better get more comfortable." She paused to bring her other hand to the zipper of her dress. She pulled it down and watched John's eyes widen.

"Uh- baby, baby, wait, wait," he stammered. He placed his hand over hers to zip the dress back up. "I was just kidding. Don't do that."

She giggled. "Why not?"

"Because we're gonna be late to our reservations if you do."

She bit her lip. "So reservations huh?"

"Yup, we should- we should go now," John suggested before lightly pushing her off. He couldn't touch her right now, he had to calm down. The thought of unzipping her dress was eating away at him.

"You okay?" she asked noticing his daze. She watched as he looked at anywhere but her, causing her to laugh.

He nodded and held her hand. "Let's go."

Roxanne smiled.

She had been seated at dinner with John for about an hour when she placed her fingers on either side of her cheeks and pulled it down. John shot her a weird look before he laughed. "Baby, what are you doing?"

She tugged on her cheeks some more. "They're so sore, you have no idea."

"I do, actually." John grinned. In fact, he was sure his were more sore than hers. "I um- I actually have something for you."

"Oh," Roxanne smiled in excitement.

"Close your eyes," he ordered before getting up and walking behind her. He slowly swiped the hair that draped over her back and placed it over her shoulders. He grabbed the piece of jewelry in his pockets and gently locked it around her neck. "There."

She opened her eyes and instinctively placed a hand over what John had put on her. She felt a band hanging through a chain. She looked down and noticed a wedding ring. Her eyes widened. "Oh my gosh."

John walked himself back to his seat and flashed a satisfied smile.

"I thought I lost this."

"Yeah, Eve said you left it in her hotel room."

Roxanne narrowed her eyes as she tried to recall these events.

"It was a couple days after we first met. She gave it to me when you left to go home. I've been meaning to give it to you but never found the right time."

"Wow," Roxanne played with the ring some more.

"Mind telling me about it?"

She smiled. "It's my mom's wedding ring. She uh- she stopped wearing it after her and my dad separated. I always got mad at her so she decided to give it to me to wear. I did for a while then my dad turned into this monster. So, I decided to just carry it around."

"Ah," John nodded. He couldn't believe how little he knew about her family. He knew everything else about her. But he realized he missed the biggest part. "And is there a similar story with the pocket watch?"

"Yeah, that's my dad's. I use to carry it around with me all the time, too."

"Why'd Miz want it so bad?"

"Well, he knew the pocket watch and this wedding ring are the two most important things to me. I guess he wanted to take it away."

"Yup, he sure tried," John nodded. He reached his hand over to hers and squeezed it. "I'm sorry again for taking part in that."

She smiled. "It's okay, at least you woke up to your senses before it was too late."

"I love you too."

Roxanne laughed. "Why do you always do that?"

"What?"

"Say I love you too when I didn't even say that to begin with."

John shrugged. "You don't need to say it for me to feel it."

She shook her head in amazement. "I swear, you're a fucking cheese ball, John."

He brought his shoulders to another shrug. "I told you, you make me do these crazy things."

"Mm, well how about I show you crazy tonight?" She leaned forward on the table and smiled. "I didn't finish what I was doing before we left the house."

John narrowed his eyes at her. She was teasing him and it was working. He felt his muscles tense up under his clothes and there was no way for him to relax. Only she could that for him.

Unfortunately, he was going to have to wait even longer.

"Where are we going?" Roxanne asked when she noticed they were taking a route that didn't lead to home. They've been on the road for a good fifteen minutes and should've been close by now.

John took over another lane and hoped it would've saved him from answering.

"John?"

He took over another lane.

"Babe." She placed a hand on his thigh and he flinched.

He had no more left lanes to take over. He adjusted his hands on the steering wheel tighter and kept his eyes on the road.

"Where are we going?" she spoke again. She'd been patient the first few times but frustration was present in her tone now.

"We have one last stop to make."

Roxanne continued to stare at him. He still hadn't answered her question and since it didn't seem like he was ever going to, she pursed her lips. She shifted her line of vision to the road when she felt him make a turn then a stop at some place. It was at a house.

She studied the place. It didn't look familiar to her at all.

"Wha-"

John got out of the car and immediately opened her door. She shot him a wondering look but didn't say a word. They held hands as they made their way to the front door. John took a deep breath before he rung the doorbell.

Within seconds, a man, more familiar to her than anyone, appeared in front of Roxanne. It was her dad.

Her face got hot and she immediately turned to face John. She felt betrayed.

How could he? How could he do something behind her back again?

She held her stare for as long as she could hold it. Then, the tears started welling up in her eyes and even a couple blinks couldn't save her.

"So much for waking up to your senses before it was too late," she muttered before hurrying away.

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Oooh. Thanks for reading everyone! Your thoughts and reviews are greatly appreciated :D

_Cena's 34th Birthday!_


	23. Past, Present, Future

**Chapter 23**  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own anyone from the WWE.

**Thanks:** Keena, Lauren, Cena's baby doll, Felonxoxo, Nora, and Animal-Viper-Cena Fan for your reviews! I appreciate the feedback. Enjoy this packed chapter :D

* * *

Roxanne dodged the harsh stream of sunlight that peered through her windows. Damn was it bright. She brought a hand over her forehead and let out a tired sigh. It was noon and she'd been awake in bed for a good hour. She groaned when the door to her room swung wide open.

In walked John with a tray in his hands. "Here, eat this." He settled it down in front of her then brought a hand to her forehead. "You're still hot."

She shrugged.

"I can't believe you just got sick out of no where," John sighed as he took a seat on the side of her bed. He placed both hands over his knees and watched as she stayed still. "Baby, you have to eat."

She rolled her eyes. Although she was sick, she hadn't forgotten about last night. He betrayed her by bringing her into her father's home without her consent. Sure, he'd been taking care of her all night and morning, as she was in and out of sleep. He'd even held her hair as she threw up in the bathroom. Still, that didn't undo or change what he'd done prior to that. He went behind her back again and that was the last thing she needed. Especially from him.

"You need food in your system, Roxanne."

She glared at him. "I never needed a dad to tell me what to do so don't try acting like one."

John sighed. He set himself up for that. "I'm sorry for last night, Rox."

She didn't reply.

"Your dad called the house phone and he sounded real sincere about needing to see you. If I told you, you wouldn't have agreed to see him so I had to-"

"You had to plan it behind my back." Roxanne shook her head. "What made you think that was any better? Well guess what John, your plan still didn't work."

John lowered his head.

"What were you thinking?"

"I wasn't and I'm sorry. I misjudged the severity of your feelings towards your dad and made a mistake by pushing you into him. I should've put you first instead of trying to play the mender. I'm sorry."

Roxanne allowed her eyes to fall to the bowl of soup in front of her. As hungry as she was, the last thing she wanted was food. She had no appetite. She couldn't even feed herself to stay alive.

"Baby…" John called out to her. He placed a hand over hers and took note of how cold her flesh was compared to his.

She pushed the tray to the side and brought a hand over her mouth. Damn it, she was going to vomit again. She ran to the bathroom and lurched over the toilet. After she spewed, she settled her head on the seat.

Roxanne was a mess in more ways than she could count and that was becoming apparent now. Obvious.

She felt a hand rub her back before a towel got pushed in front of her face. She groaned when the hand over it began wiping around her mouth. "Damn it, John. Leave me alone." She jerked her head away from him.

John sighed. He knew she meant it but he was troubled with the thought of leaving her alone sick. Someone had to take care of her and he wasn't going to keep himself from that job. She needed him, even if she didn't know it yet.

* * *

John anxiously tapped his foot against the cement floor of the parking lot. He was just about to get into the arena when he decided to call Roxanne one more time. She picked up and they exchanged a few words until she excused herself to the bathroom. She was throwing up again. This was the fourth day and now that he was back on the road, he was worried shitless.

Within a couple minutes, she got back on the line, sounding more exasperated then when she'd first picked up. "Hello?"

"Baby." His mouth was formed into a hyphen. "Are you sure you don't wanna get checked up?"

"No," she answered. "I'll be fine. It gets easier to manage as the day goes."

John sighed.

"Don't worry about me. This shouldn't be anything serious. But um- I have stuff to do and I'm sure you do too so I'll let you go now."

John didn't want to but he had no choice. "Alright baby, please call me if anything. I love you."

"I love you too."

John heard a click and instantly, the line was dropped. He slipped the phone into his pockets and forced himself into the building. The last thing he wanted was to be anywhere away from Roxanne but he knew those wishes weren't going to be met.

He couldn't believe how extremely hard things have been. He saw defeat each and every time he looked into Roxanne's eyes. A part of it, he knew, was due to her current physical condition. The rest, well, that he hadn't had enough guts to figure out.

She'd been broken by him and the faults he's made. As he continued to learn more about her, he saw that she'd been shattered numerous times, over and over, before they'd even met. This troubled him. Especially since he'd recently taken part in salting old wounds with her father.

John sat in his locker room. He was determined to nurse her back into health, both physically and emotionally. He just didn't know where or how to start.

* * *

Roxanne was right. Things did get easier to manage the rest of the day and she was thankful for that. By the time it got late in the afternoon, she began to feel normal again. Now that her physical condition wasn't much of a bother, being stuffed up at work suddenly was.

Pieces of her hair fell in front of her face and she blew on it. The strands barely moved and the ones that did only landed back in her face. She sighed. Her life was an endless drag. She hadn't eaten all day and her body hated her for it. She could've devoured a dead cow for all she cared, but she didn't. She punished herself and kept away from food.

That plan, luckily, dwindled away once she got off work. She brought herself to a well needed restaurant and ate away. She was alone with her thoughts but for once, she was in control.

Her mind traced back to John and how he looked at her. Then to what he'd done by bringing her into her father's doorstep. She was sure he had good intentions but that didn't take away from the wrongness of his actions. He did it again. He went behind someone's back. Her back.

How much longer till he stops? She shifted into her seat uncomfortably as it became apparent that she may never get a definite answer. She may always be caught in anxiety. She may always be stuck wondering. Will John ever commit an unforgivable betrayal against her? Kinda like he did to his wife?

Instead of allowing her thoughts to further linger over the same man, Roxanne shifted her thoughts to someone else. Why did her father suddenly decide to show up? He was dying? Was making amends with his daughter his last dying wish?

She toyed with that idea as she ate the remains of her food. As soon as she finished, she got up and locked herself in her car. She sat there and stared straight ahead for a good minute.

Then, she decided to get some of her questions, answered.

When she reached her destination, she looked up at the house. It still didn't look familiar but at least she knew who stood behind the door. There was no mystery of their identity now - just their intentions.

Within a minute, she found herself on the couch, her hands on her lap, and her eyes set on her father. She listened as he answered every single one of her questions.

"I um-" he smiled as he began to tell his story. "I saw your mom the other day. It was the first time in over five years and she still looked beautiful. Just like you Roxanne."

Her heart flourished at the thought of her parents. Talking. Together. She felt like a kid all over again.

"We talked and I felt happy. I'd forgotten what that felt like since I lost my marriage."

Her eyes buckled. Everything he was saying sounded nice but were they the truth? He cheated on his wife - her mom - and their marriage ended abruptly because of it. Now he's saying he was unhappy with that outcome?

Roxanne furrowed at that thought. She decided to talk before her father continued. "But you had your mistress; you seemed pretty happy with her."

"I was but that was before I really lost your mom." Struggle was plastered all over his face as he began to explain. "I thought I was happier with her, I really did. I was convinced but I was blind. When the marriage ended, so did my whole life. I-I felt like I lost everything, I wasn't myself anymore and I-I saw you. Roxanne I-"

Her heart was raising. Her throat was balled up with emotion. Her father was talking about the past and that past, this particular part that he was now referring to, haunted her for years. He was going to talk about it now, with her.

"I didn't mean to do the things I did to you," he continued. "I lost your mom and every time I looked at you, I saw her. It was sick of me to do what I did and I'm sorry-"

"Stop. Please." She put up her hand. "I don't wanna hear anymore."

"But you were so young back then and I never really got the chance to apologize for what I did to you."

Roxanne felt her heart rip. What her father had done was wrong and she'd been trying to forget it all those years. That was impossible now. As he recalled the events, memories of it came flooding back. All the pain came with it at a tenfold.

She was barely thirteen when he took his first strike. It was painful and she cried harder every time. Back then, she couldn't understand what her father was doing but she knew it hurt. It still did even after it stopped. The physical scars faded but the memory of her father raping her took permanent damage.

"I said I don't wanna hear anymore," she persisted.

Her father nodded. He changed the subject swiftly. "I felt so happy to see your mom again. I figured seeing you would make things even better."

Roxanne, desperate to shake her past off her mind, spoke up. "You said something about you dying?"

"Yeah. I was diagnosed with emphysema and I'm convinced it'll kill me one day. But that's okay, I just want a chance to feel happy with my family again before I go."

Roxanne began to nod. Was she willing to give her father another chance? It seems as though her mother had.

Would the same fate play between John and Liz? Would John need to give her another chance? Would Liz welcome this other chance? Roxanne sat there and allowed her mind to wonder.

* * *

"Liz called me last night," John mentioned.

Roxanne, whom he was glad was in better condition, nodded her head meekly. She brought the cup of coffee to her lips and stared off in space. John had been updating her since he arrived thirty minutes ago. The day barely started but she was glad he was there. It made the thought of a new day more welcoming. But still, she was struggling to feel okay with herself.

"She uh," John continued. "She told me she has an appointment for her first ultrasound."

Roxanne nodded. Talk of his wife's pregnancy had been taboo, if not forgotten, and this unfamiliar mention had her phased. For a second, at least.

"I know we haven't talked about how this baby is gonna affect our relationship but that's because I don't plan on letting it, Rox. If anything, we should welcome this baby together."

She nodded.

"I don't know how Liz would feel but the baby's mine too. With my job, I'll be absent most of the time but I do plan on taking some sort of custody."

Roxanne settled the cup on the counter slowly.

John placed a hand over hers once he realized he'd been holding a one sided conversation with himself. "Baby, are you okay?"

She looked up at him and smiled. "Yeah I'm fine. Custody sounds great."

John nodded at the simplicity of her answer. "How have things been with you?"

"I talked to my dad." She went straight to the point.

"Oh yeah?" Delighted, and curious, John raised his eyebrows. "How'd that go?"

She shrugged. "We cleared some air I guess. I'm still trying to process the whole situation."

"What situation exactly?"

"Just my life all together. Past, present, and future."

"Hm," John smiled. "Well baby, I plan on taking part in your present and future."

Roxanne placed a hand over his cheek and brushed it. She would've nodded in agreement, or said something, but she knew if she did, that reciprocation would've betrayed them eventually.

Later that night_, _John found himself feasting at the sight of Roxanne. He couldn't believe how absolutely beautiful she was even in her sleep. She looked peaceful, and it soon became apparent that the only time that ever happened now was when he couldn't look into her eyes. For the past few days, he'd not only seen defeat in them but doubt as well. His heart cringed at the thought of her qualms regarding their relationship. How was he supposed to let her know she had nothing to worry about when it came to him? She was broken and he was more than willing to fix every piece of her.

The only problem was, she didn't seem willing to let him.

He was helpless in a different way than he was with Liz, but the feeling it left him was the same. Empty.

He wasn't sure if she was unaware of her shattered state. A part of him was convinced she was, then the other part of him knew she lived this every single day. How could she not be aware? Maybe she just dealt and had herself keep up with the pain. Maybe she'd gotten used to it. Maybe she'd gotten so accustomed that she never looked for change.

If that was the case, John was going to do everything he could to give her that change.

* * *

It had been a long time since he's last seen Roxanne. The feeling from it was even worse. He couldn't stand it, no matter which way he tried to distract himself. Tonight's method was his favorite; although, just like all the others, it didn't really work.

It was Monday night and from all the fans, he was able to pick one out. The perfect apple. The forbidden fruit.

He had gotten some alcohol into his system before he made it to his room. His vision doubled and for awhile, he struggled to gain some sort of clarity. Once he did, he smiled at his distraction.

She was on the bed and she was ready. Boy was she ready. This girl, this poor girl, was nameless to him, but he didn't care. She was just for tonight. She was just supposed to get him by while he let another night without Roxanne pass.

He felt bad. Surprisingly, he did. He was guilty but damn, the alcohol. He could blame it on the alcohol.

He got himself on the bed and immediately crashed his lips to hers. He devoured her hungrily and for awhile he was happy. The distraction was working. He wasn't thinking of Roxanne. He wasn't worrying about Roxanne.

As soon as he got fully undressed, thoughts of her came flooding at an instant. His hands and his lips continued to work on the girl in front him but his mind was away with Roxanne.

Damn Roxanne. He'd been worrying about her for too long. In his mind, he had done everything for her. He was always at her side, he was always trying to help her. Why did he have to be so in love with her? He realized that'd been his downfall.

"Hey," the girl under him murmured.

He'd been staring off into space, lost in his thoughts. He shook his head and went right back to work. He brushed his lips against her neck which elicited a small moan from her. He smiled. All he had to do was keep his body at work then maybe his mind would stop. Finally.

Then, as timing would have it, his phone went off. As he tried to reach for the ringing device, the ring rat pulled him back. She was obviously unhappy with his lack of attention. "Hey."

But he didn't care. He got off the bed and took the phone into the bathroom.

"Hello?"

"Miz! Hey, it's Liz."

"This better be important, you were kinda interrupting something."

"I'm sure whatever I have to say is more important than whatever you were doing."

Miz chuckled. "What's up?"

"I'm finally pregnant and it's real this time."

An automatic smile formed Miz's lips. Tonight was going well according to plan after all.

* * *

**Author's Note:** You guys didn't think that last part of the chapter was John, did you? Silly, of course not! He was dying to fix things with Roxanne all chapter. What'd you guys think of this one though? Review and lemme know, lovelies :)

_April 28, 2011_


	24. Two Way Deal

**Chapter 24**  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own anyone from the WWE.

* * *

John couldn't believe how ridiculously in love he was with Roxanne.

On the days they spent apart, he'd diligently watch the clock tick closer to their reunion. He was so desperate to be with her that he would've rather been arguing than to be apart. He missed her - every single part of her - at every second of everyday. He'd always felt an ache with their distance but it got even worse. She flooded his mind more than she was supposed to. But that was definitely the least of his worries. He was thankful to be with her. He never knew such strong feelings, or even, such a perfect woman, could exist.

Their relationship, their unofficial relationship, had been deepening. Ever since he'd made it known to his wife, and her, that he was now trying to build a new life with Roxanne, he'd done just that.

Roxanne and him pushed through the struggles of everyday together. Whether it was side by side, through intervals of phone calls, or short sessions on the webcam, they got through it. Things weren't always peachy, easy, or even tolerable but the fact that they had each other was enough reason to get by.

He noticed how easy it'd been to breathe ever since…well, ever since Roxanne.

John smiled. The instant he recognized her name on his phone screen, he picked up the call. "Hey baby."

"Hey, you're coming home tomorrow, right?"

His smile only grew at the mention of home and tomorrow. "Yes, baby, I'll be with you tomorrow."

From the sound of her voice, it was obvious she was smiling too. "Mm I can't wait. I've been feeling lonely in bed for the past five nights."

"Good, you better have been lonely."

"You too, mister."

"Other than the night Randy tried to crawl in my bed, yes."

Roxanne laughed. "Is everything okay with him and his wife now?"

John traced his mind back to two nights ago when Randy came banging on his door. Apparently, marriage trouble was inevitable even with the ever so sensible, Randy Orton. "Well, he didn't try sleeping with me last night, so I guess so."

"What were they fighting about again?"

"I'm not really sure. He was mumbling something about their daughter and how he didn't feel good enough for them anymore."

Roxanne sighed. Question was present in her tone. "Not good enough?"

"Yup," John nodded. It definitely sounded more familiar than he wanted it to.

"But Randy tries his best to do everything he can."

"Exactly." John's lips grew grim. "Hopefully his spouse realizes that before it's too late."

"Yeah but if there's something troubling her, he should try to understand that too. It's a two way deal."

"Definitely," John agreed. "How was your day though?"

"Eh. Could have been better."

"Anything new?"

"My dad called again."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, he wants me to go to dinner with him and my mom."

"Baby, that sounds great."

"Does it?"

"Yeah I mean, it's a chance to reunite the family. With the history of pain and hurt put aside, I think it'd be a good night."

"Maybe."

"Baby."

Roxanne chuckled with ease. "I still have to warm up to the idea."

"Understandable-" John paused when he heard a knock at door. He listened on as he was instructed to head down the ring in five. "Baby, I'll call you after my match alright?"

"Alright, babe. I love you."

"I love you more."

* * *

The very next night, Roxanne found herself snuggled next to John as he watched the basketball playoffs. She was never into the NBA but she watched it anyways, because he enjoyed it. She smiled as she felt the vibrations from his body. He was fully enthralled in the game and it humored her how clueless she was in comparison.

Goaltending? Technical foul? Personal foul? What was the difference?

She scratched her head but didn't allow her mind to wonder anymore. It'd just cause a headache. Instead, she nestled her head along the curve of his neck and took a whiff of his scent. She closed her eyes and drowned herself at the elation of this moment. She cherished every second with him completely.

"Three pointer! That's my boy," John cheered. He jerked his arm out of excitement and noticed the way it jolted Roxanne in return. He smiled warmly then kissed her. "I'm sorry baby, am I boring you?"

She ran her hand down his arm and shook her head. "Nope, not at all."

"Well…" John moved forward and took hold of the remote. He turned the TV off.

Roxanne's jaw dropped. "But- but baby, you were enjoying the game."

He slipped his arm around her waist then hoisted her onto his lap. He had her facing him. "Maybe but not as much as I'd enjoy you."

Roxanne fell short of breath when John began swiping tongue against her collarbone. She felt his fingers tug on the buttons of her shirt while the muscles in her body began to grow tense. She was instantly in need of a release and she knew John was just about to provide that for her.

She smiled.

That smile, however, fell once a ringing emitted from somewhere in the room.

"That's mine," John muttered.

"I know," Roxanne frowned. Her body grew cold as she got off him and was forced to watch him inch away.

"Hello? Oh, Liz…" John's face stiffened. He had been so eager to get back to Roxanne that he forgot to check the caller ID. Damn him for being so accustomed to always answering. He could've avoided this delay.

The coldness in Roxanne's body kept growing, so to make amends, she drew her attention into biting her nails. She watched as John's features grew grim.

She frowned at this. Liz still had that hold on him.

She tapped the empty space beside her and John gladly reciprocated by taking it's place. He laid his head on her chest as he listened to his wife. He stayed mute and replied when he felt the need for one.

The phone call was barely two minutes but by the time they hung up, he felt like he'd wasted a whole hour.

"She wants me to move everything out of my office."

"I thought you already did."

"Yeah but I left a few things and even then, she still wants me to build a nursery."

Roxanne massaged his cheek as he buried his face deeper onto her chest.

"I don't wanna."

"Well, it's for your baby. Think of it that way."

"Yeah but if you haven't forgotten, that baby's mom is over bearing. She'll just bitch her way through the whole damn thing."

Roxanne sighed. "You were once civil her."

John rose his head and caught her eye. "Were. What's your point?"

"If you guys managed to get along before, you can do it again."

John shook his head.

"Babe, you're gonna have to."

"No I don't."

"Yes you do."

John was stubborn.

"For the baby, you do." Roxanne cupped his cheeks. "I'm sure there's some way you can minimize all the bullshit."

John's expression didn't change much. He was stuck on the negativity with Liz and he couldn't look past it. "Tell you what, the day you go to dinner with your parents, I'll go and build the nursery."

The lines on Roxanne's face grew.

John laughed. "It's a two way deal, remember?"

"Yeah but one has nothing to do with the other."

"Well, it involves the both of us getting past our comfort zone. Might as well hurdle through our own problems at the same time, right?" He drew his face closer towards her and smiled. "If the day goes bad for either of us, we'll see each other the very next day and make everything better."

Roxanne bit her lip and smiled. That sold her.

* * *

"It's been a long time since we had a family dinner, huh?"

"Too long I would say."

Roxanne perked up her lips as her parents exchanged smiles and words. They were all equally spaced from each other in a round table at some restaurant. She looked down on the menu and read Buca Di Beppo. It must've been Italian.

"So Roxanne, are you still dating Mike the Miz?" her mother asked.

She looked up immediately, shocked that he'd been brought up so fast, so soon. Or, at all. "No we umm…broke up."

Her mom gasped. "Is that so? Oh, I'm sorry to hear that honey."

Roxanne shook her head. "Don't be. It was for the better."

"I'm sure it is," her dad joined in with a smile. "Speaking of for the better, me and your mom were thinking about getting re-married."

"What?" Roxanne felt her head turn. Was she hearing that right?

Her mom nodded. "Well, we've both been wishing to get back together and now that we've reunited, it's even clearer. You know what they say, distance makes the heart grow fonder."

"But-but-" Roxanne searched for words but instantly knew there were none to sway her parents. She closed her mouth and bit her tongue.

This was going to be the longest dinner of her life.

And apparently, John had the same fate that night. He'd been sitting in his car for the past thirty minutes; now with an empty box of Chinese take out. He'd finished everything except the fortune cookies, which he gladly took his time opening. Desperation had his actions playing at minimal speed. He was dreading stepping through the doors of his house since it meant having a conversation with his wife. Chances are, they'd be forced to have more than one. And one was already one too many.

He clutched onto the steering wheel before he finally exited his vehicle. He had to go in sooner or later. He figured the sooner he got in, the sooner he'd get out. That was the plan.

"Liz-" As soon as John fully made it through the door, he saw his wife seated on the couch, with her hands on her lap.

"John."

He stared at her for another second before closing the door behind him.

When he didn't say a word, she got up and walked towards him. "I've been waiting for you."

John cleared his throat. "So uh, I'm here to build the nursery?"

He sounded like a damn worker.

Liz crossed her arms and nodded. "Yeah we should head to Ikea to pick out some furniture."

"Now?"

"Yeah."

"Shouldn't we clear the room first and take measurements?"

Liz shrugged. It was obvious she hadn't planned this out very carefully. Or at all. He wanted to kick himself for not doing so himself. _Great. _Time with her was going to be an even bigger stretch than he originally thought.

"I'm gonna see the room."

"I'll come with you," she insisted, tailing behind him.

He let out a tired sigh as they made their way in silence.

He switched the light on and looked around the small room. It didn't look familiar to him at all. His desk was the only thing that stayed. All his picture frames, metals, awards, newspapers, and letters were gone. They were boxed away now, among all the other things in his past. He placed his hands on either sides of his waist and looked over at Liz. "So uh- where would you want the crib?"

"Against the same wall as the window."

"Alright. What else do we need?"

"A changing table and rocking chair."

"Alright."

His eyes spanned the place slowly, unsure of what to do next. This was more awkward than he anticipated. The way she was acting, unlike her usual over-bearing self, was making it even worse. Rather than dealing with the dreaded norm, John found himself questioning his wife's intentions. There was a red flag up. Her mellow attitude was up for question but he didn't bother. He didn't care enough to. He was there for a job and that job only. "We should start by-"

"I think we should be able to tell what can fit and what cant. We should go to Ikea now."

"I guess." Her interruption barely phased him now.

He followed orders and got them both to Ikea in record time. The trip consisted of silence, back and forth questions, monotone, more silence, and to their surprise, a few great purchases. They came back with a crib, a rocking chair, and a changing table; just like she'd asked.

John settled the last box into the room before Liz came up from behind and tapped his shoulder. That was the first physical contact they had all day. "What?"

"We should eat before we continue."

John slid the boxes closer together. "I uh- I'm not really hungry. I ate before I got here."

Liz frowned. "Oh come on. I've been having meals by myself for a long time now. At least spare me this one."

He rubbed the back of his neck and spoke with reluctance, "alright. I guess."

She smiled contently. "Are you okay with ramen?"

John followed her into the kitchen.

"Just like the old times," she added with a smile.

"Sure." He sat on a stool and lowered his head.

"How's Roxanne doing?"

His head shot up. "Uh…" the surprise from her question had his words caught in his throat.

Liz placed a pot of water on the stove before she looked over at her husband, waiting for an answer.

"She's doing good," he answered plainly. This was even more awkward.

Liz smiled. "That's good to hear."

John spread out all of his fingers against the counter and brought his head back down. What was his wife trying to do?

He shook his head. Whatever it was, he knew he was only there for the nursery. She couldn't possibly tangle him into anything else like she was used to. No. Not this time. Not ever again.

John kept that thought the entire night. He had no doubts, especially when Liz finally decided to leave him alone. An hour into building, he was already close to finish. He kept his pace at a steady, speedy rhythm. He only had one last side of the crib to screw on when he noticed the dryness in his mouth.

He looked around the room and noticed the tall glass of soda on the table. It'd been untouched the whole time; he almost forgot it was even there. Thirsty, he grabbed for it and downed every last drip. It burned his throat a little. He quickly remembered why he'd stop drinking soda all those years.

With a newly clenched mouth, he went right back to work.

John was completely finished with the room ten minutes later. He looked around with a satisfied grin. As he kept looking around, his vision started doubling.

_I must be tired_, he thought, as he brought a hand to rub his forehead. He walked himself to the door. All he needed was to get into his car and stay at some hotel for the rest of the night. That was the plan.

Unfortunately, he didn't even make it past the door of the nursery before he fell to the floor, unconscious.

Some hours later, he opened his eyes. It took him a couple seconds to realize he was in the master bedroom of his old home. It'd been awhile since he slept there. He kept looking around and stopped once he got to his side. On his right was his wife fast asleep, without anything but the sheets over her bare body.

He looked down on his own and noticed his boxers were the only thing that covered him.

John sat up and placed a hand over his neck. _Damn it, what the fuck happened._

* * *

**Author's Note:** Damn you, Liz! Haha. Heads up guys, I'ma leave the length of this story up to YOU. I'll be posting a couple on Saturday (yes! two chapters, whoooo) and depending on your reviews, I'll continue to post more. If not, then this story will be ending soon. I have to say, I have a lot more up my sleeve but I can end it soon too. Let me know guys! Lack of reviews would tell me to just stop. So if you want more chapters, review and lemme know your thoughts!

Thanks to those who reviewed the last chapter!

**Felonxoxo -** Hahaha, your enthusiasm was greatly appreciated. Glad you loved the last chapter as much as I did ;)  
**xXParieceXx** - Don't worry hun, all your questions will be answered! Like I told you before, your lengthy reviews are awesome!  
**Keena** - Hope you were relieved when you found out the last part of the last chapter wasn't John. Haha. Thanks for your consistent reviews!  
**Cena's baby doll** - Yup, John would never cheat on Roxanne intentionally. But in this chapter? Ahh! Thanks for reviewing, hun!  
**Lauren** - Trust me, the next chapter is gonna be the most packed of them all! Mwuahaha. Thanks for the feedback :D

_May 04 2011_


	25. The Last Time

**Chapter 25**  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own anyone from the WWE.

**Author's Note:** Please read the author's note at the end of this chapter, it's important. Don't skip to it unless you wanna spoil the ending. Haha. I want to thank Felonxoxo, Lauren, Keena, xXParieceXx, and Cena's baby doll for your consistent reviews :) Here we go, enjoy!

* * *

Two months later

John stared at the glass filled with soda and shook his head. The last time he put similar contents into his body, he blacked out and woke up nearly naked next to his wife. He never tried to find out what happened because chances were - he'd rather not know. He gathered his things and left promptly, without ever looking back. As long as he was alive and able to be with Roxanne, he was fine.

Fortunately, for the past couple of weeks, that's how things have been. He was thankful for that.

He was even more thankful for the way Roxanne took the news. The instant he got to see her after the incident, he told her what happened. A couple seconds of silence passed and for that while he didn't know what she was thinking. Like always, Roxanne just smiled and understood.

Now they were spending another day at her house. It was their favorite thing to do.

"Baby, you're beautiful," he reminded her. "Just relax."

She sipped on the glass of soda before shaking her head. "But I don't feel beautiful in any of these dresses."

"Are you sure this is even about the dress?"

Roxanne, who was standing in front of her mirror, looked back at John and sighed. She pouted as she brought herself onto his lap. She twirled her finger against the hem of his shirt and a sullen sigh passed between her lips.

"I know you disagree with your parent's second wedding but you can't do anything about it. So why bother feeling sad about something you can't change?"

She lowered her head and nestled it against the curve of his neck.

John continued, "I'm gonna be right there with you."

"Thank God," she mumbled before putting her head up. "Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to survive that night."

"Well we wouldn't want that." John smiled and kissed her lips.

She smiled. "I guess it can't be so bad."

"Of course not. We'll be together."

"You know-" she propped herself into a straddling position. "I just realized this is gonna be the second wedding we're going to."

He smiled. "You know what they say, the third one's the charm."

Roxanne shot him a wondering look. She could only imagine his wild implication.

"The third wedding just might be ours."

Roxanne bit her lip. "Oh shut up, married man. Don't get too ahead of yourself."

John laughed and wrapped his arms around her waist tightly. He knew there was no such thing as getting ahead when you've already fallen in love forever.

* * *

"I can't believe the wedding is tomorrow. That's less than twenty hours from now!" Roxanne momentarily paused from packing to throw her hands up in the air. John and her were in the bedroom with a pile of clothes for tomorrow.

"And everything will be fine," John assured. He stood behind her, placing both hands over her waist. "We should go to sleep early tonight, just so you can stop worrying."

Roxanne began shaking her head. "Oh no, we are not going to sleep early tonight."

John raised his eyebrows. "No?"

"Nope." She gathered all the things on the bed and stuffed it into the duffle bag without care. She pushed it off and turned to face John. "You mister, will make me forget all about my worries of tomorrow."

"Oh, well-" he smiled. "That, I can definitely do."

Roxanne began to nod with a grin on her face. She tippy toed and placed a hand behind John's head to push him closer. Then, she planted a kiss on his lips. Everything, absolutely everything, about him turned her on. The past few weeks they'd closely shared only heightened her physical craving. John of course, had no complaints. He was just as willing, if not more. And he'd be damned if he didn't prove her that that tonight.

Later, much later, John dragged up the tangle covers and settled Roxanne - who was fast asleep - comfortably on his chest. He was pleasurably exhausted, drained, and content. The only thing that abated his mind from complete contentment was the nagging clock that blinked beside him. Each minute that passed was a minute closer to the wedding. Although he'd been assuring her that everything would be okay, he didn't completely believe in that himself. He'd only been trying to play the strong one, in hopes that she can truly gain her own strength. Roxanne was always good at that.

These thoughts were soon interrupted when a faint ringing emitted from somewhere in the room. It was his cell phone. He looked around and realized it was on the floor, inside the pocket of his shorts. He brought his hands to rub the back of Roxanne's head while ignoring the call. He closed his eyes and tried to go to sleep.

His phone went off again. And again, and again. As soon as it went off for the fifth time, he lightly shifted Roxanne onto the pillow and got off the bed. He got his phone and his worries were then confirmed. Of course, of all people, it was Liz.

He stole a glance at Roxanne before he walked out of the room and went to the kitchen. He was ready to call his wife back but she ended up making her sixth call. This time, John answered.

"Hello?"

"John!"

The alarm in her voice quickly got him. "What's wrong?"

"John-I-I need you right now."

"Liz, what's wrong?"

"I don't know! I-I started having mild cramping then it got severe and now, now I can't even walk. John I'm scared! I need you- I need you right now."

"Liz, I'm all the way across the country."

She was panting now. "But John, I need you. Please. John. I'm terrified!"

"Can't you call your mom or something?"

"But John-please, please come here. I want you to be here if anything happens to the baby."

John's heart dropped. "Liz I-I can't make it there right now. Just call your mom and go to the hospital if things get worse."

"I'm scared!"

"Everything-everything's gonna be alright, Liz. Just relax, please. Don't stress yourself out like this."

"Damn it, John. The cramps are getting worse," she whined.

There was nothing amicable about her tone now. It sounded like pure pain and had John's stomach turn.

"Johnnnnn!" She was crying now.

"Liz, hang up the phone and call the ambulance."

"Johnnnnn!"

"Liz, please! Call the ambulance right now. Then call me back if you can, alright? Please. You have to get yourself to a hospital."

"Johnnnn!" she cried some more.

"Liz. Call 911. Listen to me. "

"Okay…" she panted.

John opened his mouth to talk but the line dropped before he got another word out. His heart was racing and he knew that pace was only about to get worse.

He hadn't given this prenatal stage much attention and now that the baby may be in danger, the guilt warped him up. He clutched onto his phone tightly, desperate to displace his growing worry. He released the phone and brought both hands over his head.

The next minutes that came felt like hours. His mind was running in circles and his heart was battering against his ribs.

"Fuck," he cursed.

John realized just how bad the situation was when he felt Roxanne's arm wrap around him, and even then, he still didn't feel better.

"Babe," she called out, her voice fresh from sleep. "What's wrong?"

He leaned back and lightly pushed her hands off him. "Liz is going to the hospital right now."

"What?" Her tone was just as devastating as his. She pulled the stool next to him and sat down. "Babe, what happened?"

"I don't know. She-she could be having a miscarriage for all we know." His voice was low but still dangerous as broken glass. The both of them felt each and every sharp edge. His shoulders were hunched and he deflated like a popped balloon.

Silence passed and all Roxanne could do was stare. There were no words for this situation, she thought. John seemed vital and the last thing she wanted was for her to make it worse.

The air around them got heavy.

"She wants me to fly over there just in case anything happens to the baby."

Roxanne's pulse was skipping. She didn't know how to reply that.

John sighed. "Is that okay?"

She nodded her head without thinking. Rather than feeling, she withdrew herself from consciousness. It was the only way she could've stayed strong for John.

"Are you sure it's okay if I go?" He asked as if it were a rhetorical question. Maybe it was.

She nodded again, this time, wondering if John noticed the reluctance in her eyes.

He didn't. "Thanks for understanding, baby. I'm gonna use the laptop to book a redeye right now, alright?"

She nodded for the third time with a glum utter. "Kay."

John got up from his seat and exited the room. He was obviously in the worse case possible and she had to consider that, no matter how bad her own case was.

Sure, she needed him at the wedding but the mother of his child needed him even more. She'd have to accept that since it seemed as though he already had.

* * *

One Month Later

_Roxanne! The wedding video is finally finished and put together. Come watch it with your dad and I tonight. Bring the popcorn and some booze if you'd like because we don't have any. Hehe. Love, sexy mom._

"Booze and sexy mom," Roxanne repeated out loud. She shook her head and laughed as she read over her mother's text again. "Wow."

She glanced up at the clock and read five o'clock. It was Monday night and Raw was supposed to be on in an hour.

"Guess I can't watch you tonight, John," she muttered before tucking some hair behind her ear. She licked her lips and got up from the bed.

There would be no delays getting to her parents house, she decided. Her home had been more barren as of late and the last thing she wanted was to epitomize the feeling herself.

She'd have to get herself into her parents house quick, and that she did. She was sitting next to them within thirty minutes.

Her eyes danced at the wedding footage. It sure looked a lot better in video. That, or because she no longer had to worry about what was to come after. That was all over and done now. Every cringing bit of it.

She narrowed her eyes when a petite blonde appeared on the side of the screen. She remembered this whole scene like it was yesterday.

_Roxanne looked around the crowd anxiously. She was looking for familiar faces in hopes it'd fill whatever void she was feeling. That didn't seem to work. For one, she knew close to no one in the small ceremony. For another, the person she did recognize was someone she wish she hadn't._

_She crossed her arms and tapped her foot. God, she wished her face wasn't so transparent. The last thing she wanted was to be in this damn wedding and for everyone to easily read that through her face was the topper._

_She kept looking around but her eyes kept returning to the blonde female on the fifth row. She had a name, of course, but not one Roxanne could remember. It was M-something. That didn't matter, though. All that mattered was that woman had been her father's mistress. And she was here. At her parent's wedding. _

_What the fuck was she doing there? Was her mother aware of her presence? And if she did, she was okay with it? _

_Roxanne rolled her eyes as these questions circulated around her head. She looked over at her parents and noticed the genuine smiles on their faces, as they exchanged vows. For some reason, it was painful to watch so she allowed her line of vision to fall to the floor. _

_She sighed. "Damn it, John, I needed you too."_

Roxanne couldn't help but look down as she did at the wedding day. The video kept rolling and her parents only seemed more smitten. She heard them giggling like a teenage couple.

"Mom," Roxanne spoke up. She reached for the remote and pressed the pause button.

Both sets of eyes focused on her without a word. The air was sterile.

"Why was it okay for her to be at the wedding?"

Her mom's eyebrows furrowed. "Who are you talking about, hun?"

"Her. Dad's-"

Roxanne didn't even have to finish for her father to realize who she was referring to. "Because we both accepted her already."

Roxanne felt her mind halt. Accepted her? They accepted the woman who'd cause their marriage to end the first time?

"If it wasn't for her, your dad wouldn't have realized just how much he truly loved me," her mom added. "Hun, I know it may be hard for you to understand but I've forgiven your father. And her. I've moved on and I'm the happiest I've ever been with your dad. More so than the first time we got married."

Roxanne stared at her parents. She bit back what she intended to say. Somethings were better when left unsaid.

"I'm in love with your mom, Roxanne. It was a mistake to cheat on her but it helped become an even better person for your mom."

As Roxanne processed these words into her head, she sighed and pressed the play button without a word.

* * *

Roxanne hugged her knees as the light from the television bounced off her face. John had just finished texting when he scooted closer towards her.

"The show ended?" he asked, eyes still set on his phone.

"Mhm," she mumbled.

John looked up at the TV then at Roxanne. He opened his mouth to talk then closed it when he realized just how unaware he was of the room's atmosphere. It was cold. He decided to ask the never failing question. "You hungry?"

"Nah." It failed. Usually, the mood would warm up, at least to a slight degree, but this time, it just got even colder. John bit the inside of his cheek and stared straight at the screen. He sighed.

Things haven't been the same with Roxanne and that fact was becoming more apparent with every new day that passed. To add to John's fume, he knew it was all his fault. Every since Liz's miscarriage scare, he'd been juggling the two women in his life. Although Roxanne was always understanding, he could see the seams to her strength unbuckling. It was taking a toll on her. Of course it would. It would for any lover who always felt like they were on borrowed time. Damn him for not being careful enough to prevent that.

"Baby…" John placed his hand over hers and panic warped him up when she didn't reciprocate. She just stared at him blankly. "Is everything okay?"

She adjusted her position on the couch and sat up higher. And further away from him. "The answer to that is a little complicated."

"And we have all night to sort it out."

He saw hesitation flash through her eyes. "I don't think you wanna do this tonight, John."

"Do what?" He felt so petrified, his voice was barely audible. He watched her reluctance grow.

"John, I've been thinking and…" her words trailed, putting hers and John's body in complete alert mode. "I'm not sure if we went about things the right way."

John searched her eyes hoping to God that no matter what she said tonight, she'd be willing to fix it. Just like he was. "Then how can I make things feel right for you?"

"You can't," she answered blatantly. "I realized we jumped into this relationship and-"

"And it's been great, Rox."

She nodded. "It has, I agree with you but that was also your problem with Liz."

"Don't- don't even compare my relationship with her-"

"But we can't keep being oblivious, John. You made a mistake with her then and you haven't even tried to fix those mistakes with me."

"But you're not a mistake. We're not a mistake."

"How could we be sure of that, John?"

"I just- I feel it, Roxanne. I can't even explain because no words can suffice my feelings for you but I swear, I know we're not a mistake."

"I bet you thought the same with her too."

"But this is different-"

"But how could you be so sure?" she asked again.

He didn't know how to answer that. He simply didn't have one.

Roxanne continued. "We got together so fast and-"

"That doesn't automatically make us a mistake."

"No but it still doesn't make this right. I'm scared as hell John, and trust me, I tried so hard to take the risk with you."

John sighed, "But what?"

"But the odds are stacked against us."

"We don't have to let it-"

"John, please, just listen to me," Roxanne pleaded. "I want you to be absolutely sure. But I don't think you ever will be unless you really give your marriage another shot."

John felt his head spin. He wasn't sure if he heard her right. "What?"

"I came in between your marriage and I don't think having me before and after the divorce is a clean enough break. If you're gonna divorce your wife, I shouldn't be the reason. I'm not a good enough reason because your feelings could change again and-"

"I don't understand why you're doubting how I feel for you, Roxanne. I-I never even gave you a reason to."

"I never said you did but I cant let you make the same mistake twice."

"But you're not a mistake!" John put up both of his hands in frustration. He couldn't believe how adamant she was about calling them a mistake. It felt anything but that.

"You may be sure, but I'm not," she said calmly.

John dropped his head. That did it. That sealed it. His world had come crashing down in an instant. It was over.

"Please. Just give your marriage another shot. Forget about me right now."

John bit back the groan. His heart was shattering to pieces and he couldn't believe what demands she was asking of him. They were impossible.

"Please, John," she pleaded.

He looked her across the couch. "There's no way around this?"

She shook her head. Despite her determination not to cry, a tear trickled down her face.

John began to nod slowly. His body got numb. His lips were sealed shut for he knew no words to reply.

"I'm sorry," she said softly, her voice barely a whisper.

John closed his eyes and turned away. He was angry. He was hurt. He was God damn close to tears. He understood but that definitely didn't take away the pain he was feeling. It was as if his heart had been ripped out of his chest, and he was forced to watch it get stomped on.

"If were ever gonna be together," she began to say, her throat constricted from the threatening tears. "I want you to be completely, completely sure. I just- I don't think you gave Liz a fair enough shot. We're obviously still on our honeymoon stage and feelings could change after that, John. If we're really meant to be together, we'll end up together again somehow. But right now, it's best we be apart."

His hands turned into iron fist and he nodded his head quickly. "I get it, Roxanne. Alright."

He swallowed the lump in his throat but it did nothing to suffice his burdened feelings. She was right. There was no way around this. They'd have to be apart right now, and it daunted him to think it may be forever. But it had to be done. It was the only way she'd get her peace of mind.

John straightened his back and got up from the couch. "I'll pack my stuff right now and go."

Roxanne bit her lip and nodded. She watched as he walked passed her on the couch. The instant he was out of the room, the tears came crashing down. She sobbed and her cheeks burned with salty trails of grief. It was relentless, just like her growing love for him. But she learned a long time ago that love wasn't enough.

They couldn't go on with this. Not like this.

They'd gotten together too fast. A mistake John had made with Liz.

They cheated a marriage. A mistake her father had made with his mistress.

It broke her heart, sent it to devastating shattered pieces, but there was just no way. They had to learn from past mistakes; not make them again.

Roxanne sunk her shaky body deeper onto the couch. She cried until there were no tears left. By that time, she realized that John was already standing on the wall behind her. Eyes red, hands in his pockets, luggage right beside him.

She got up from the couch and brought herself into his arms. This would be the last time.

John gripped her tightly as if it were the only way to help him survive. He planted a kiss on her temple before he released his hold and stepped away from her. He had to leave. This was too painful.

He got his bag and started walking towards the door. He reached for the knob, turned it and stepped out. He looked back at her one more time, his heart hammering away even faster.

"If we ever meet again," Roxanne said.

She'd said this once before, back when they were strangers. She didn't think she'd ever see him again then and here she was now, saying it as his lover.

If we ever meet again, John mentally repeated. He gave a small nod before forcing himself to walk away. This was officially the saddest departure of his life, and he was sure it forever will be.

Roxanne stared at her closed door. She couldn't breathe. She backed herself up against the wall, thinking she'd just gone through the worst thing she'd ever know; nothing could ever hurt this much again.

* * *

**MUST READ! AUTHOR'S IMPORTANT NOTE:** Well...? What'd you guys think of the end? Yes, you read that right, this is the end of this fic. Last update, I said I'd post two chapters today and I did! Yes, I did it again. I posted the sequel to this story already! Whooooo! You can go on my profile and click on 'Second Time Around' to read the first chapter. But first, let me know what you guys thought of the ending. Sorry it was sad but that was the plan all along, hence the title. Review review review! I wanna know your thoughts of this story all together :) Thanks everyone.

_May 07, 2011 - purposely posted the last chapter on the same date I posted the first chapter, kekeke. _


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